Question

Physical and chemical characteristics of carbohydrates

Answer 1

The physical, chemical, and biological properties of carbohydrates depend on their primary structures and, less frequently, on their higher-order structures. While monosaccharides are comprised of a single saccharide unit, oligosaccharides are less clearly defined and may consist of from 2-10 glycosidically linked monosaccharide units. Because of the high level of conformational flexibility associated with monosaccharides and oligosaccharides, these molecules typically do not form stable secondary or higher order structures when dissolved in a solvent. Thus, the physical, chemical, and biological properties of monosaccharides and oligosaccharides are mainly attributable to their primary structures