Glucose structure

[schnappy]

Hi,
Do we have to know about different configurations for monosaccharides ie. structural isomers of Glucose? My teacher went over it, stating it's not in the book (which it isn't) - I've just looked up the study design and it is also not in there.

[jasoN-]

Not entirely sure, but my guess is you'd just need to know that isomers of glucose are
galactose and fructose (i highly doubt u would need to know the structures)
and also how they combine (via condensation) to form some common disaccharides:
glucose + fructose = sucrose
glucose + galactose = lactose
glucose + glucose = maltose

You should wait for some second opinions

edit: hmm thought this was biology lol
for chemistry.. not sure now, but i still doubt you'd need to know the structures and probably not even the combinations
you'd probably just need to know that they undergo condensation reactions, the functional groups it forms (ether) etc..
anything chemistry related

[schnappy]

Not having a reference to know what im talking about, the term alpha was mentioned a lot... alpha 1,4 etc. I should have paid more attention :S

Those condensation reactions are simple enough though.

[pineapple21]

You definitely need to know the structure of Glucose. We had a lecture from the Chem Chief Examiner and he said it's essential you know it so yeah.
From there you can deduce maltose's structure.

Sucrose is given in the Data Book so basically just make sure you know what forms what, as jasoN- said.

[tea.squaredd]

if you want to know the structure of glucose, look in the last page of your data book and look at sucrose.
on the left should be a 6ring carbon atom -> glucose, and the right is a 5 ring ccarbon atom -> fructose
to know the actual structural formula, just add a -H to the 'O' in the ether bond and take away the fructose bit!
And yeah, the reactions  between different monosaccharides, jason has summarised them pretty well. Just know they all go through condensation reactions.

[scocliffe09]

Not having a reference to know what im talking about, the term alpha was mentioned a lot... alpha 1,4 etc. I should have paid more attention :S

Those condensation reactions are simple enough though.

With regards to different types of glucose and their hydroxy groups:
alpha = down
beta = up
And the way the hydroxy groups are pointing will affect the overall structure (e.g. branching) if they undergo condensation to form a polymer.