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Disaccharides definitions

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  • Disaccharide
    A carbohydrate composed of two monosaccharide units joined by a glycosidic bond, often found in foods and biological systems.
  • Monosaccharide
    A simple sugar molecule serving as a building block for larger carbohydrates, such as glucose, galactose, and fructose.
  • Glycosidic Bond
    A covalent linkage connecting two sugar molecules, whose configuration determines digestibility and structural properties.
  • Maltose
    A sugar consisting of two glucose units with an α-1,4 linkage, commonly found in starch and digestible by mammals.
  • Cellobiose
    A sugar made of two glucose units with a β-1,4 linkage, present in cellulose and not digestible by most mammals.
  • Lactose
    A sugar composed of galactose and glucose with a β-1,4 linkage, abundant in milk and digestible for most mammals.
  • Sucrose
    A sugar formed from glucose and fructose with both α-1,2 and β-1,2 linkages, widely found in processed foods and digestible.
  • Starch
    A polysaccharide in plants made of glucose units, containing maltose segments and serving as a digestible energy source.
  • Cellulose
    A structural polysaccharide in plants, composed of cellobiose units, and indigestible for most mammals.
  • Galactose
    A monosaccharide present in lactose, differing from glucose in structure and contributing to milk sugar properties.
  • Fructose
    A monosaccharide found in sucrose, distinct from glucose and galactose, and commonly present in fruits and processed foods.
  • Anomeric Carbon
    A specific carbon in a sugar molecule involved in glycosidic bond formation, influencing linkage type and digestibility.
  • Digestibility
    A property indicating whether a sugar can be broken down and absorbed by mammals, determined by glycosidic bond configuration.
  • α-1,4 Linkage
    A glycosidic bond connecting two sugars at the first and fourth carbons in an alpha configuration, enabling digestion.
  • β-1,4 Linkage
    A glycosidic bond joining sugars at the first and fourth carbons in a beta configuration, often resulting in indigestibility.