Carbohydrates to memorize?

[maikelm]

Hi everyone,

I am wondering whether I should invest some time to memorizing the common monosaccharides and disaccharide. This would include the Fisher projections and rings. Are there certain ones I should focus on? I am thinking ribose and deoxyribose are definitely high on the importance list, but I wanted to get opinions about other ones.

Thanks for your help
Maikel

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[jhmmd]

Hi everyone,

I am wondering whether I should invest some time to memorizing the common monosaccharides and disaccharide. This would include the Fisher projections and rings. Are there certain ones I should focus on? I am thinking ribose and deoxyribose are definitely high on the importance list, but I wanted to get opinions about other ones.

Thanks for your help
Maikel

Alpha and beta glucose--understand the difference between the two
Ribose and deoxyribose (so that you understand the structure of DNA)
Most other sugars aren't super important (for the MCAT), but may be important for biochem
I would buy a chemistry model kit so that you understand the 3D structures backwards and forwards. Remember that chemistry is 3D and this will help you more than memorizing Fischer projections (though you should know that too).

 

[maikelm]

Alpha and beta glucose--understand the difference between the two
Ribose and deoxyribose (so that you understand the structure of DNA)
Most other sugars aren't super important (for the MCAT), but may be important for biochem
I would buy a chemistry model kit so that you understand the 3D structures backwards and forwards. Remember that chemistry is 3D and this will help you more than memorizing Fischer projections (though you should know that too).

Thank you for your help!
I did not really think about (or really consider) the three dimensional structure here. Of course, these things are present in 3D, but I did not consider looking at or examining these structures from more than one perspective. It seems like the books and videos are mostly looking at one perspective. I had a chemistry kit somewhere, but I have to look for it!

Thanks!
Maikel

 

[jhmmd]

No problem

 

[JimKimSlim]

IMO, it's enough to just memorize the three disaccharides: lactose, sucrose, and maltose, which obviously will force you to memorize galactose, glucose, and fructose.

 

[maikelm]

IMO, it's enough to just memorize the three disaccharides: lactose, sucrose, and maltose, which obviously will force you to memorize galactose, glucose, and fructose.

Thanks! It's a double win!

Maikel

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

You should know and recognize the five monosaccharides and three disaccharides already mentioned in this thread. You should also know glycogen, cellulose, and amylose.

I really don't like horn tooting, and I apologize for doing it, but you should seriously look at Figure 7-7 on page 169 of TBR Organic book 2. It shows the monosaccharides to know and it explains a unique way to memorize them that you will never forget. Figures 7-8, 7-9, 7-15 and the explanation for Example 7.8 show sugars to know.