The differences between Alpha and Beta Glucose
Alpha
Alpha-glucose is a form of glucose that is in a ring shape. Ring-shaped glucose structures
occur when the hydroxyl OH group on the carbon-6 atom reacts with the aldehyde group on
the carbon-1 atom It also contains many hydrogen bonds.. The function of alpha glucose . It
works well as an energy store within for plants to store sugar because its molecules are
compact and insoluble but are easily hydrolysed , they need chains of alpha glucose to build
starch . For plants to build structural material, they need chains of beta glucose to create
cellulose. Humans can break down starch while we cannot break down cellulose. Within
starch there are 2 similar molecules. These are Amylose and Amylopectin.
Amylose is a large unbranched chain of α-glucose forming 1,4-glycosidic bonds (bonds
between Carbon 1 in the first molecule and Carbon 4 in the bonding molecule. Whereas
amylose is straight chains and doesn’t branch; Amylopectin branches every 20 residuals as
well as coiling every 6. The branches are 1,6-glycosidic bonds and result in an even more
compact molecule.
Beta
beta-glucose is the isomer where the hydroxyl group on the carbon 1 atom is placed on the
opposite side of the CH2OH group.
Beta-glucose is a cyclic, six carbon sugar, formed from glucose, and can polymerise to make
cellulose, an essential polysaccharide used in the structure of plants. They have the ability to
Alpha
Alpha-glucose is a form of glucose that is in a ring shape. Ring-shaped glucose structures
occur when the hydroxyl OH group on the carbon-6 atom reacts with the aldehyde group on
the carbon-1 atom It also contains many hydrogen bonds.. The function of alpha glucose . It
works well as an energy store within for plants to store sugar because its molecules are
compact and insoluble but are easily hydrolysed , they need chains of alpha glucose to build
starch . For plants to build structural material, they need chains of beta glucose to create
cellulose. Humans can break down starch while we cannot break down cellulose. Within
starch there are 2 similar molecules. These are Amylose and Amylopectin.
Amylose is a large unbranched chain of α-glucose forming 1,4-glycosidic bonds (bonds
between Carbon 1 in the first molecule and Carbon 4 in the bonding molecule. Whereas
amylose is straight chains and doesn’t branch; Amylopectin branches every 20 residuals as
well as coiling every 6. The branches are 1,6-glycosidic bonds and result in an even more
compact molecule.
Beta
beta-glucose is the isomer where the hydroxyl group on the carbon 1 atom is placed on the
opposite side of the CH2OH group.
Beta-glucose is a cyclic, six carbon sugar, formed from glucose, and can polymerise to make
cellulose, an essential polysaccharide used in the structure of plants. They have the ability to
