Monosaccharides and Disaccharides

Monosaccharides:

The simplest carbohydrates made up of a single sugar molecule.

Their main function in cells is to provide energy through the process of aerobic respiration. They can alsobe used to build up larger carbohydrates such as disaccharides (sucrose, lactose and maltose) and polysaccharides (starch,cellulose and glycogen).

The simplest chemical formulafor a monosaccaride is CH2O

Hexose sugars = C6H12O6                        Pentose sugars = C5H10O5

Three common monosaccharides are glucose, fructose and galactose. All share the same molecular formula C6H12O6.

All monosaccharides give a positive result when tested with benedicts solution, they are…