Chapter 25: Problem 14

What is the meaning of the prefix deaxy as it is used in carbohydrate chemistry?

Short Answer

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Answer: In carbohydrate chemistry, the prefix "deoxy" denotes the absence of a hydroxyl group (OH) in the usual position, which is replaced by a hydrogen atom (H). This indicates a structural difference in the carbohydrate molecule. An example of a deoxy-carbohydrate is deoxyribose, a component of DNA, where a hydroxyl group at the 2' carbon position is replaced by a hydrogen atom, resulting in the structural formula C5H10O4.

Step by step solution

Carbohydrates, also known as saccharides, are biomolecules that represent an important source of energy for living organisms. Their general formula is Cx(H2O)y. Carbohydrates serve various functions such as energy storage and providing structure to cells. They are composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, and they can be monosaccharides (simple sugars like glucose and fructose), disaccharides (composed of two monosaccharides), oligosaccharides (composed of a few monosaccharides), or polysaccharides (composed of many monosaccharides). #Step 2: Explain the general structure of monosaccharides#

Monosaccharides are the simplest carbohydrates and cannot be hydrolyzed into smaller carbohydrates. They have an aldehyde or ketone group and multiple hydroxyl (OH) groups. Monosaccharides are classified based on the number of carbon atoms and the type of carbonyl group present. For example, glucose is an aldohexose (six-carbon sugar with an aldehyde group), while fructose is a ketohexose (six-carbon sugar with a ketone group). #Step 3: Define the prefix "deoxy" and its meaning in carbohydrate chemistry#

The prefix "deoxy" in carbohydrate chemistry denotes the absence of a hydroxyl group (OH) in the usual position and its replacement by a hydrogen atom (H). This results in a sugar molecule with one less oxygen atom than in the corresponding "oxy" form. The presence of the "deoxy" prefix in the name of a carbohydrate indicates that the molecule has a different structure than its "non-deoxy" counterpart. #Step 4: Provide an example of a deoxy-carbohydrate#

A well-known example of a deoxy-carbohydrate is deoxyribose, which is a component of the nucleic acid DNA. Deoxyribose is a five-carbon sugar (a pentose) and is derived from the sugar ribose by the removal of a hydroxyl group (-OH) at the 2' carbon position, which gets replaced by a hydrogen atom (-H). The structural formula of deoxyribose is C5H10O4, while the structural formula of ribose is C5H10O5. The difference in their structure, specifically the absence of a hydroxyl group in deoxyribose, has significant implications for the structure and stability of DNA as compared to RNA.

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What is the meaning of the prefix deaxy as it is used in carbohydrate chemistry?

Short Answer

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