Sugars in Complex Carbohydrates
- Carbohydrate molecules contain the elements carbon, hydrogen and oxygen
- In the human body, carbohydrates are broken down by enzymes in the mouth and small intestine
- Carbohydrates can be classed into different groups (monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides) depending on their complexity
- Monosaccharides are simple sugars that consists of a single monomer unit e.g. glucose (C6H12O6) or fructose
- Glucose molecules contain lots of energy which can be released in respiration by breaking the bonds between the carbon atoms
- A disaccharide is made when two monosaccharides join together
- Maltose is formed from two glucose molecules
- Sucrose is formed from one glucose and one fructose molecule
- A polysaccharide is formed when lots of monomer units join together in long chains to form a polymer
- Starch, glycogen or cellulose are all formed when lots of glucose molecules join together
- Polysaccharides are insoluble and therefore useful as storage molecules
Glycogen, cellulose and starch are all made from glucose molecules