carbohydrates
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Carbohydrates
INTRODUCTION
A theme that we have seen and studied in this class is that a particular
form or
structure of a molecule plays a significant role in the function of that
molecule. Since we
are interested in the function of molecules. it helps to study their
structure. One of the
major classes of organic compounds found in cells are carbohydrates. These
carbohydrate
are made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in a ratio of 1:2:1 respectively
with a general
formula of X(CH2O)n. When the carbohydrates consists of one unit of sugar,
X=1, it is
called monosaccharide. If it consists of 2 units, X=2, the carbohydrate is
called
disaccharide. Carbohydrates made up of more than two units, X>2, are called
polysaccharides. Carbohydrates can also be branched or unbranched depending
on the
type of linkage. Those with alpha 1:4 linkages are linear or unbranched,
while those with
alpha 1:6 linkages are branched...