Carbohydrate chemistry

Carbohydrate chemistry is a subdiscipline of chemistry primarily concerned with the synthesis, structure, and function of carbohydrates. Due to the general structure of carbohydrates, their synthesis is often preoccupied with the selective formation of glycosidic linkages and the selective reaction of hydroxyl groups; as a result, it relies heavily on the use of protecting groups.

Monosaccharides

Individual saccharide residues are termed monosaccharides.

Carbohydrate synthesis

Carbohydrate synthesis is a sub-field of organic chemistry concerned specifically with the generation of natural and unnatural carbohydrate structures. This can include the synthesis of monosaccharide residues or structures containing more than one monosaccharide, known as oligosaccharides.

Glycosidic bond formation

Chemical glycosylation
Fischer glycosidation
Glycosyl halide
Koenigs-Knorr reaction

Protecting groups

Carbohydrate acetalisation

Oligosaccharides

Reactions of carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are reactants in many organic reactions. For example:

Cyanohydrin reaction
Lobry-de Bruyn-van Ekenstein transformation
Amadori rearrangement
Nef reaction
Wohl degradation
Tipson-Cohen reaction
Ferrier rearrangement
Ferrier II reaction

Functions of carbohydrates

Carbohydrates have four major functions within the body:

Energy supply, particularly for the brain in the form of glucose
Avoiding the breakdown of amino acids for energy
Avoiding ketosis from the breakdown of fatty acids
Cellular and protein recognition

Energy supply, particularly for the brain in the form of glucose

Avoiding the breakdown of amino acids for energy

Avoiding ketosis from the breakdown of fatty acids

Cellular and protein recognition

Glycoprotein hormones may be removed by the liver from the bloodstream when the passage of time causes the breaking-off of carbohydrates from the glycoproteins.

References

External links

Media related to Carbohydrate chemistry at Wikimedia Commons
Functions of Carbohydrates

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