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What is the Monomer of Carbohydrates?

Answer – Monomers of carbohydrates are monosaccharides.

Explanation: 

Carbohydrates, in addition to proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids, are crucial biomolecules that help with metabolic processes in living beings. They are polymers composed of several monomeric units called monosaccharides, or simple sugars. 

The term monosaccharide comes from mono, which means “one,” and sacchar, which means “sugar.” Each monosaccharide is made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms in the ratio CₙH₂ₙOₙ. Here, n stands for the number of carbon atoms per molecule and it usually ranges from 3 to 7.

Most of the oxygen atoms in a simple sugar occur as part of a hydroxyl group, except one that makes up a carbonyl group. The position of this carbonyl group is what determines the type of simple sugar:

  • A monosaccharide with the carbonyl C at the end of the chain is an aldose. Examples include glucose, galactose, and glyceraldehyde.
  • A monosaccharide with the carbonyl C occurring anywhere in the carbon chain is a ketose. Examples are fructose, ribulose, and erythrulose.

Further, when two monosaccharides combine as the result of a dehydration reaction, they form a disaccharide. Common ones include sucrose, lactose, and maltose.

Anywhere between 3 and 10 monosaccharide units form oligosaccharides, and more than 10 monosaccharides make up a polysaccharide.


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