Glucose for Grade 12

Biochemistry of Glucose

Glucose is a carbohydrate and has the following properties:

·         It is a monosaccharide (a single sugar)

·         It has the chemical formula C₆H₁₂O₆

·         It is sweet and crystalline

·         It is small and is a monomer for polysaccharides.

·         It is a reducing sugar; it has the ability to reduce Cu²⁺ found in soluble copper II sulphate (blue) to Cu¹⁺ (brick red) found in insoluble copper I oxide. This is the basis of the Benedict’s test (a biochemical test used to detect reducing sugars). All monosaccharides are reducing sugars.

·         It exists in the straight chain (open chain) and Ring form (alpha ring and beta ring):

Structural Feature	Related Function
Many C-H bonds	When these bonds are broken energy is released, this makes glucose the ideal respiratory substrate.
Consists of only one sugar and it has many free OH (hydroxyl) groups hanging off its ring structure.	Small size and many OH groups makes it soluble, this makes glucose an excellent transport sugar in animals.

Table Listing The properties of Glucose and Its Related Function