Advanced Nutrition & Human Metabolism
Advanced Nutrition & Human Metabolism
(Carbohydrates) current edition 2025 A+ graded
Exam based questions and approved answers
What are monosaccharide’s made up of? - ✔✔✔They have 3 to 7 carbons, a hydroxyl group, and a
functional carbonyl group
What are the two types of monosaccharide’s depending on whether or not the monosaccharide has a ketone
or aldehyde carbonyl group? - ✔✔✔They can be either aldoses or ketoses
How many carbon atoms can monosaccharaides have? - ✔✔✔3 to 7
What is stereoisomerism? - ✔✔✔The occurrence of a molecule in different spatial configurations
Most biological systems are stereospecific. True or False? - ✔✔✔True
What does it mean for a molecule to be optically active? - ✔✔✔if plane polarized light is passed through a
solution of substances, the plane of light is rotated to either the left -levorotatory- or right -dextrorotatory-
Optical activity is attributed to the presence of what? - ✔✔✔A chiral carbon or asymmetrical carbon
What is a chiral carbon? - ✔✔✔carbon atoms that have 4 different atoms or groups covalently attached to
them
What is an enantiomer? - ✔✔✔Stereoisomers that are mirror images of each other
What is a stereoisomer? - ✔✔✔2 or more compounds differing only in their spatial arrangement of atoms
When there is more than one chiral center, which carbon indicates whether the molecule is of L or D
configuration? - ✔✔✔The highest numbered chiral carbon.
@ pg. 1
, Advanced Nutrition & Human Metabolism
Which enantiomer configuration is more important when it comes to nutrition? - ✔✔✔The D configuration
because D isomers exist in dietary carbohydrate and are metabolized in that form. Many of the enzymes
involved in carbohydrate digestion are specific to the D form
In the human body, are monosaccharaides generally in closed chain or open chain form? - ✔✔✔Closed
chain because it is more stable
What is the anomeric carbon? - ✔✔✔The carbon containing the carbonyl (ketone or aldehyde) functional
group
How do determine which end of the molecule to start numbering? - ✔✔✔You start numbering at the carbon
with the highest priority functional group
How does a carbohydrate go from straight chain form to cyclic form? - ✔✔✔Through a reaction between the
carbonyl and hydroxyl group
What is a cyclic sugar that contains a keto group called? - ✔✔✔Hemiketal
What is a cyclic sugar that contains an aldehyde group called? - ✔✔✔Hemiacetal
Formation of a hemiacetal or a hemiketal produces a new chiral center where? - ✔✔✔At the anomeric
carbon
What is the alpha configuration of of a straight chain sugar? - ✔✔✔When the anomeric hydroxyl group is on
the right side of the molecule
What is the beta configuration of a straight chain sugar? - ✔✔✔When the hydroxyl group is on the left side
of the molecule
Where is the hydroxyl group located in the alpha configuration of a cyclic sugar? - ✔✔✔the hydroxyl group
is pointed downward
@ pg. 2
Advanced Nutrition & Human Metabolism
(Carbohydrates) current edition 2025 A+ graded
Exam based questions and approved answers
What are monosaccharide’s made up of? - ✔✔✔They have 3 to 7 carbons, a hydroxyl group, and a
functional carbonyl group
What are the two types of monosaccharide’s depending on whether or not the monosaccharide has a ketone
or aldehyde carbonyl group? - ✔✔✔They can be either aldoses or ketoses
How many carbon atoms can monosaccharaides have? - ✔✔✔3 to 7
What is stereoisomerism? - ✔✔✔The occurrence of a molecule in different spatial configurations
Most biological systems are stereospecific. True or False? - ✔✔✔True
What does it mean for a molecule to be optically active? - ✔✔✔if plane polarized light is passed through a
solution of substances, the plane of light is rotated to either the left -levorotatory- or right -dextrorotatory-
Optical activity is attributed to the presence of what? - ✔✔✔A chiral carbon or asymmetrical carbon
What is a chiral carbon? - ✔✔✔carbon atoms that have 4 different atoms or groups covalently attached to
them
What is an enantiomer? - ✔✔✔Stereoisomers that are mirror images of each other
What is a stereoisomer? - ✔✔✔2 or more compounds differing only in their spatial arrangement of atoms
When there is more than one chiral center, which carbon indicates whether the molecule is of L or D
configuration? - ✔✔✔The highest numbered chiral carbon.
@ pg. 1
, Advanced Nutrition & Human Metabolism
Which enantiomer configuration is more important when it comes to nutrition? - ✔✔✔The D configuration
because D isomers exist in dietary carbohydrate and are metabolized in that form. Many of the enzymes
involved in carbohydrate digestion are specific to the D form
In the human body, are monosaccharaides generally in closed chain or open chain form? - ✔✔✔Closed
chain because it is more stable
What is the anomeric carbon? - ✔✔✔The carbon containing the carbonyl (ketone or aldehyde) functional
group
How do determine which end of the molecule to start numbering? - ✔✔✔You start numbering at the carbon
with the highest priority functional group
How does a carbohydrate go from straight chain form to cyclic form? - ✔✔✔Through a reaction between the
carbonyl and hydroxyl group
What is a cyclic sugar that contains a keto group called? - ✔✔✔Hemiketal
What is a cyclic sugar that contains an aldehyde group called? - ✔✔✔Hemiacetal
Formation of a hemiacetal or a hemiketal produces a new chiral center where? - ✔✔✔At the anomeric
carbon
What is the alpha configuration of of a straight chain sugar? - ✔✔✔When the anomeric hydroxyl group is on
the right side of the molecule
What is the beta configuration of a straight chain sugar? - ✔✔✔When the hydroxyl group is on the left side
of the molecule
Where is the hydroxyl group located in the alpha configuration of a cyclic sugar? - ✔✔✔the hydroxyl group
is pointed downward
@ pg. 2
