hi it's mr. Andersen in this podcast I'm
hi it's mr. Andersen in this podcast I'm

going to talk about carbohydrates when I
going to talk about carbohydrates when I

say the word carbohydrates you might
say the word carbohydrates you might

think about the starch that's found in
think about the starch that's found in

this bread or maybe in this pasta as a
this bread or maybe in this pasta as a

biology teacher I immediately think of
biology teacher I immediately think of

sugar because that's going to be the
sugar because that's going to be the

building block upon which most
building block upon which most

carbohydrates are made but you should
carbohydrates are made but you should

also know that aside from providing
also know that aside from providing

energy for us they also provide
energy for us they also provide

structure and so cellulose that's found
structure and so cellulose that's found

in plants is going to be a
in plants is going to be a

polysaccharide or the chitin that's
polysaccharide or the chitin that's

found in the exoskeleton of an insect or
found in the exoskeleton of an insect or

the building block of fungi is going to
the building block of fungi is going to

be a carbohydrate and so they give us
be a carbohydrate and so they give us

energy but they also give us structure
energy but they also give us structure

sugars in science we call saccharides
sugars in science we call saccharides

and the reason I wrote carbohydrates
and the reason I wrote carbohydrates

inside these hexagons is that that's how
inside these hexagons is that that's how

sugars are essentially put together and
sugars are essentially put together and

so if we have just one of these sugar
so if we have just one of these sugar

molecules we call that a monosaccharide
molecules we call that a monosaccharide

so an example could be glucose if we
so an example could be glucose if we

have two of them together we call that a
have two of them together we call that a

disaccharide an example could be table
disaccharide an example could be table

sugar or sucrose it's actually one
sugar or sucrose it's actually one

glucose and one fructose molecule if we
glucose and one fructose molecule if we

have about three to ten sugar molecules
have about three to ten sugar molecules

we call that an oligosaccharide and then
we call that an oligosaccharide and then

if we have a whole bunch of sugar
if we have a whole bunch of sugar

molecules attached together we call that
molecules attached together we call that

a polysaccharide and so glycogen would
a polysaccharide and so glycogen would

be an example of that and so basically
be an example of that and so basically

the empirical formula of all
the empirical formula of all

carbohydrates is going to be the same in
carbohydrates is going to be the same in

other words we have a ratio of one to
other words we have a ratio of one to

two to one in the amounts of carbon
two to one in the amounts of carbon

hydrogen and oxygen so we have twice as
hydrogen and oxygen so we have twice as

much hydrogen as we do carbon and oxygen
much hydrogen as we do carbon and oxygen

can you see why they're called
can you see why they're called

carbohydrates we've got a carbon out
carbohydrates we've got a carbon out

here and then we have water so it's a
here and then we have water so it's a

carbohydrate good way to remember that
carbohydrate good way to remember that

if we look at a simple monosaccharide
if we look at a simple monosaccharide

it's going to have six carbon 12
it's going to have six carbon 12

hydrogen and six oxygen and so the the
hydrogen and six oxygen and so the the

simplest the sugar upon which life is
simplest the sugar upon which life is

built is called glucose and so glucose
built is called glucose and so glucose

has six carbons we could look at them
has six carbons we could look at them

there's one here here here here here and
there's one here here here here here and

here so there are going to be at the
here so there are going to be at the

junction points on this ring in an
junction points on this ring in an

aqueous solution or in water they're
aqueous solution or in water they're

going to form these rings but you can
going to form these rings but you can

also see that there's going to be a lot
also see that there's going to be a lot

of oxygen so we have all these Hydrox
of oxygen so we have all these Hydrox

groups around the outside and that makes
groups around the outside and that makes

sugars readily dissolvable in water and
sugars readily dissolvable in water and

so glucose is used in cellular
so glucose is used in cellular

respiration it's produced by plants and
respiration it's produced by plants and

photosynthesis so they can use it in
photosynthesis so they can use it in

respiration so it's the building block a
respiration so it's the building block a

lot of the different sugars that I'm
lot of the different sugars that I'm

going to show you in this podcast are
going to show you in this podcast are

built upon glucose but there are other
built upon glucose but there are other

ones we've got the fructose fructose is
ones we've got the fructose fructose is

going to be a five you can see it's a
going to be a five you can see it's a

five sided sugar it's found it's going
five sided sugar it's found it's going

to be a little sweeter than glucose and
to be a little sweeter than glucose and

it's going to be found like in fruit or
it's going to be found like in fruit or

high fructose corn syrup and then we
high fructose corn syrup and then we

have galactose and galactose is going to
have galactose and galactose is going to

be a little less sweet than glucose but
be a little less sweet than glucose but

these are the basic three
these are the basic three

monosaccharides what's cool about these
monosaccharides what's cool about these

they all can can readily be moved into
they all can can readily be moved into

our blood supply and so these are
our blood supply and so these are

flowing through your blood right now
flowing through your blood right now

these little monosaccharides if you ate
these little monosaccharides if you ate

pasta for example we first have to break
pasta for example we first have to break

that down into its monosaccharides
that down into its monosaccharides

before we can move it through the blood
before we can move it through the blood

and then into the cells in our body so
and then into the cells in our body so

what are disaccharides then
what are disaccharides then

disaccharides are going to be two sugar
disaccharides are going to be two sugar

molecules attached together and so the
molecules attached together and so the

table sugar that's found in these sugar
table sugar that's found in these sugar

cubes is going to be sucrose and so it
cubes is going to be sucrose and so it

is a glucose molecule attached to a
is a glucose molecule attached to a

fructose and so when that goes into my
fructose and so when that goes into my

body I have an enzyme called sucres that
body I have an enzyme called sucres that

has to break that down into its
has to break that down into its

monosaccharides before I can actually
monosaccharides before I can actually

use it where here's another one the milk
use it where here's another one the milk

sugar so lactose is going to be a
sugar so lactose is going to be a

glucose and a galactose
glucose and a galactose

chemically a track on chemically bonded
chemically a track on chemically bonded

together and so if you want to break
together and so if you want to break

down lactose you have to have an enzyme
down lactose you have to have an enzyme

called lactase now if you're lactose
called lactase now if you're lactose

intolerant what does that mean you just
intolerant what does that mean you just

lack the enzyme to break lactose down
lack the enzyme to break lactose down

into its two monosaccharides
into its two monosaccharides

and so you're going to feel a little
and so you're going to feel a little

irritation in your gut and that's
irritation in your gut and that's

because we can't break it down now that
because we can't break it down now that

seems to be there's some really cool
seems to be there's some really cool

studies you could read on on lactose
studies you could read on on lactose

tolerance or intolerance and it's been
tolerance or intolerance and it's been

naturally selected in other words if
naturally selected in other words if

your ancestors had domesticated cattle
your ancestors had domesticated cattle

it made sense for them to drink milk
it made sense for them to drink milk

later on in their life but most people
later on in their life but most people

just drink milk when they were young and
just drink milk when they were young and

so they quit producing that lactase
so they quit producing that lactase

enzyme okay let's go to oligosaccharides
enzyme okay let's go to oligosaccharides

oligosaccharides are going to be like
oligosaccharides are going to be like

three to ten different sugar molecules
three to ten different sugar molecules

they're important in biology in one
they're important in biology in one

pretty important part and that is in the
pretty important part and that is in the

production of these which are called
production of these which are called

glycoproteins so we're in a cell
glycoproteins so we're in a cell

membrane and these which are going to be
membrane and these which are going to be

glycol lipids if you look at the glyco
glycol lipids if you look at the glyco

part or the sugar part that's going to
part or the sugar part that's going to

be just a few sugar molecules attached
be just a few sugar molecules attached

together and these are really important
together and these are really important

for example attaching to the
for example attaching to the

extracellular matrix they're important
extracellular matrix they're important

in identifying what type of a cell it is
in identifying what type of a cell it is

here's an interesting note I learned on
here's an interesting note I learned on

Wikipedia if you were to eat carrots
Wikipedia if you were to eat carrots

carrots are a wonderful wonderful source
carrots are a wonderful wonderful source

of oligosaccharides however you can't
of oligosaccharides however you can't

get the sugar molecules out of it until
get the sugar molecules out of it until

you've cooked the carrots for about an
you've cooked the carrots for about an

hour to release those oligosaccharides
hour to release those oligosaccharides

but again if you're not getting them in
but again if you're not getting them in

your diet we can synthesize those inside
your diet we can synthesize those inside

the cell now let's look at this number
the cell now let's look at this number

right here as we go from
right here as we go from

oligosaccharides to polysaccharides and
oligosaccharides to polysaccharides and

look how how much that jumped and so
look how how much that jumped and so

when we're talking about starch for
when we're talking about starch for

example what is starch starch is going
example what is starch starch is going

to be hundreds of these glucose
to be hundreds of these glucose

molecules attached over and over and
molecules attached over and over and

over again and so the starch that's
over again and so the starch that's

found in a potato or if we dry it out
found in a potato or if we dry it out

it's going to look like this is going to
it's going to look like this is going to

be hundreds of sugar molecules attached
be hundreds of sugar molecules attached

over and over and over again now why are
over and over and over again now why are

plants doing this why are they making
plants doing this why are they making

these large molecules they're storing
these large molecules they're storing

energy in the starch molecule so they
energy in the starch molecule so they

can use it by chopping it down into
can use it by chopping it down into

individual monosaccharides now can we do
individual monosaccharides now can we do

that you bet we've got glycogen so
that you bet we've got glycogen so

glycogen is essentially a macro macro
glycogen is essentially a macro macro

molecule and so it's going to have
molecule and so it's going to have

thousands of glucose molecules attracted
thousands of glucose molecules attracted

together chemically bonded together you
together chemically bonded together you

can see what how monstrous this looks
can see what how monstrous this looks

with all these individual glucose
with all these individual glucose

molecules and we're going to store that
molecules and we're going to store that

in the liver and so if you are carbo
in the liver and so if you are carbo

loading what are you really doing you're
loading what are you really doing you're

eating a bunch of starch you're breaking
eating a bunch of starch you're breaking

those down into monosaccharides and then
those down into monosaccharides and then

you're reattaching those again and
you're reattaching those again and

you're storing them in our liver as
you're storing them in our liver as

glycogen and so we can get to those
glycogen and so we can get to those

stores eventually when we need it we can
stores eventually when we need it we can

chalk chop up those monosaccharides and
chalk chop up those monosaccharides and

we can use them in the cell but we also
we can use them in the cell but we also

get structure remember and so cellulose
get structure remember and so cellulose

that makes up that structure in a lot of
that makes up that structure in a lot of

plants you can see here it's going to be
plants you can see here it's going to be

a bunch of sugar molecules attached over
a bunch of sugar molecules attached over

and over again but we're going to have
and over again but we're going to have

these hydrogen bonds
these hydrogen bonds

cross bond between the different
cross bond between the different

polysaccharides makes them incredibly
polysaccharides makes them incredibly

durable if you were to eat wood don't
durable if you were to eat wood don't

but you you don't have the enzymes to
but you you don't have the enzymes to

break it down inside your gut and so
break it down inside your gut and so

it's going to go in as wood and it's
it's going to go in as wood and it's

going to come out as wood and so if we
going to come out as wood and so if we

want to break down cellulose um we have
want to break down cellulose um we have

to get help and we have to get
to get help and we have to get

microscopic elk and help and so like a
microscopic elk and help and so like a

cow for example is going to have a bunch
cow for example is going to have a bunch

of bacteria another microscopic life
of bacteria another microscopic life

that lives in their gut that can break
that lives in their gut that can break

down that cellulose and so they can
down that cellulose and so they can

eventually get to sugars but it's not
eventually get to sugars but it's not

that easy
that easy

so how do we do all this building how do
so how do we do all this building how do

we do all this breaking well there's
we do all this breaking well there's

basically two processes since it's a
basically two processes since it's a

polymer we can use hydrolysis hydrolysis
polymer we can use hydrolysis hydrolysis

is simply breaking the sugars and so
is simply breaking the sugars and so

right here we have a glucose or excuse
right here we have a glucose or excuse

me a lactose molecule you can see it's a
me a lactose molecule you can see it's a

disaccharide and so what we can do is we
disaccharide and so what we can do is we

can add a water and when we add a water
can add a water and when we add a water

we can break this bond right here and we
we can break this bond right here and we

can make two monosaccharides and so
can make two monosaccharides and so

hydrolysis is simply breaking them apart
hydrolysis is simply breaking them apart

enzymes help on this as well and then a
enzymes help on this as well and then a

dehydration reaction is when we're going
dehydration reaction is when we're going

to have two monosaccharides and we go in
to have two monosaccharides and we go in

the other direction so when we're
the other direction so when we're

actually making lactose we're taking two
actually making lactose we're taking two

monosaccharides we're losing a water and
monosaccharides we're losing a water and

then we're making that covalent bond
then we're making that covalent bond

between them and so again we can build
between them and so again we can build

we can make them smaller and then we can
we can make them smaller and then we can

eventually break them down in
eventually break them down in

respiration now if we were to look at
respiration now if we were to look at

sugars are they a good thing well
sugars are they a good thing well

evolutionarily they're very important
evolutionarily they're very important

why do we love sugar so much it's
why do we love sugar so much it's

because sugar is usually an indicator of
because sugar is usually an indicator of

fruit and fruit is going to have a lot
fruit and fruit is going to have a lot

of other vitamins in it that we need and
of other vitamins in it that we need and

so humans are essentially programmed to
so humans are essentially programmed to

love sugar sadly what we've done is
love sugar sadly what we've done is

we've started to put sugar in everything
we've started to put sugar in everything

and so this I didn't even know this they
and so this I didn't even know this they

made this this is a double big gulp so
made this this is a double big gulp so

if you had this much soda it's made of
if you had this much soda it's made of

high fructose corn syrup
high fructose corn syrup

so basically we're enzymatically
so basically we're enzymatically

breaking down corn to make this fructose
breaking down corn to make this fructose

this really sweet sugar and it's killing
this really sweet sugar and it's killing

us we're seeing an increase in heart
us we're seeing an increase in heart

disease and increase in diabetes as a
disease and increase in diabetes as a

result of that and so a little bit of
result of that and so a little bit of

sugar is good we need it for energy
sugar is good we need it for energy

obviously but too much is probably bad
obviously but too much is probably bad

and I hope that was helpful
and I hope that was helpful