Monosaccharides General Principles

The monosaccharide D-glucose, whose chemistry is representative of all aldoses containing four or more carbon atoms, exists predominantly in the two pyranosc forms 4 and 5. These are six-membered hemiacetals formed by the reversible cyclization of the acyclic polyhydroxy aldehyde 3 (Eq. 23.1). In the cyclic forms 4 and 5, the ring carbon that is derived from the carbonyl group is referred to as the anomeric carbon atom. The specific rotation, [a] (Sec. 7.5), of a-D-(+)-glucose (4) is +112 whereas that of the -anomer 5 is +19°. When crystals of either pure 4 or pure 5 are dissolved in water, the [a]p changes to an equilibrium value of +52.7°. This process is termed mutarotation. At equilibrium in water, the a- and p-forms are present in the ratio of 36 64 only about 0.03% of D-glucose is in the acyclic form 3. 

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To understand the chemistry of these more complex carbohydrates, we must first learn the principles of carbohydrate structure and reactions, using the simplest monosaccharides as examples. Then we will apply these principles to more complex disaccharides and polysaccharides. The chemistry of carbohydrates applies the chemistry of alcohols, aldehydes, and ketones to these polyfunctional compounds. In general, the chemistry of biomolecules can be predicted by applying the chemistry of simple organic molecules with similar functional groups. 

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