werner@aecom.UUCP (Craig Werner) (08/02/85)
Just for the record:
Glucose = C H 0 (the most energetically stable sugar, the double bond
6 12 6 that makes it a sugar and not a poly-alcohol, is C1.)
Glucose in the diet is D-glucose, D for Dextrorotarty,
or right-handed. D-Glucose is sometimes called Dextrose.
Fructose " " (same as above, but double bond is C2.
Galactose " " (C1, but different geometry than glucose.)
_Polysacharides_ (More than 1 simple sugar/molecule):
Lactose found in milk, is Galactose+Glucose, Beta linkage
(some people can't break the link, so are
Lactose-intolerant. The associated bloating
comes from the fact that intestinal bacteria
eat it up (yum, yum) and produce gas.
Starch poly-glucose, alpha linkages.
Cellulose poly-glucose, beta linkages, cannot be digested by
any mammal.
Sucrose Table Sugar, refined sugar = Fructose+Glucose, alpha,
and that's it.
Maltose Glucose+Glucose, alpha, made by digesting starch in
most cases. Also, anyone remember the infant
formula 'Maltose-Dextrose.'
--
Craig Werner
!philabs!aecom!werner
"The world is just a straight man for you sometimes"