Asymmetry and the Structures of Carbohydrates

Lactose is a naturally occurring carbohydrate found in the milk of mammals. It serves as the principal source of carbohydrate and energy for their young. It is much less sweet than sucrose and has a relatively bland taste. a,oi-Trehalose is a carbohydrate found in yeasts and fungi and is the major sugar in the hemolymph fluid of insects, where it serves as a source of energy. 

The following shows what happens when these various carbohydrates are heated in aqueous solution with acid  

Murein + H O A -acetyl glucosamine + A -acetyl muramic acid 

Glucose is a carbohydrate found in many materials in combined forms such as cellulose, starch, sucrose, lactose, and a,a-trehalose. It is also found in the free state in a number of materials such as honey, grapes, and raisins. Glucose plays an important role in the blood of all animals, where it serves as an immediate source of energy and as a stabilizer of the osmotic pressure of the blood. It further serves as the precursor for the formation of glycogen and fat. 

We have seen that different carbohydrates occur naturally, and many are composed wholly or in part of glucose. So, what are the structures of carbohydrates and how do they differ from each other  

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