- Jan 2025
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bio.libretexts.org bio.libretexts.org
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As shown in the figure above, every other glucose monomer in cellulose is flipped over, and the monomers are packed tightly as extended, long chains. This gives cellulose its rigidity and high tensile strength—which is so important to plant cells.
I know that cellulose is vital to plant cells and that it can't be digested by humans but by certain animals (ruminants) and horses that are hindgut fermenters.
With this, I find it super interesting learning about the structure of cellulose itself! Putting the real world application together with how this molecule is extremely strong because of the glucose monomers flipped over with beta 1-4 linkages tells me why certain animals, like cows, need microbes to be able to digest these strong structures!
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glycosidic bond
Glycosidic bonds are a covalent bond formed between a carbohydrate and another molecule.
This happens when the OH of one monosaccharide combines with the H of another, releasing H2O and being joined by O.
These disaccharides can have different structures, functions, and purposes!
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If the hydroxyl group is below C1 in the sugar, it is said to be in the alpha (α) position, and if it is above C1 in the sugar, it is said to be in the beta (β) position.
This is my first time encountering alpha and beta positions in relation to ring structures.
This is something important to note, since with alpha positions the OH needs to be below the first carbon. With beta positions, the OH needs to be above the first carbon!
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carbohydrate
To identify carbohydrates (and lipids in general besides phospholipids), you can count the number of C, H, and O present in the molecule.
The number of carbons and oxygens should be equal, whereas the number of hydrogens should be double this amount.
You can also identify lipids by looking for the polar "head" and nonpolar "tail"!
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phospholipid bilayer forms as the basic structure of most cell membranes and are responsible for the dynamic nature of the plasma membrane.
Understanding the function and importance of the phospholipid bilayer helps me to understand why it's arranged like that.
Since it's the basic structure of most cell membranes and responsible for how the plasma membrane acts, by having the hydrophobic tails face to face and the hydrophilic heads point out, the cell and plasma membrane is able to interact with water.
This means the plasma membrane acts as a barrier, and a stable one since the tails are aligned!
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