Draw the structures of both glucose and galactose in a chain structure and write a short description of what difference they have in structure and explain why do they share the same molecular formula of C6H₁2O6 ?

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### Structures of Glucose and Galactose

#### Assignment:
- **Draw the structures of both glucose and galactose in a chain structure.**
- **Write a short description of the differences in their structures.**
- **Explain why they share the same molecular formula C\(_6\)H\(_12\)O\(_6\).**

#### Explanation:
Both glucose and galactose are monosaccharides with the same molecular formula, C\(_6\)H\(_12\)O\(_6\), categorizing them as isomers. Isomers are compounds that have the same molecular formula but differ in the arrangement of atoms within the molecule, leading to different physical and chemical properties.

#### Structure Description:
**Glucose:**
- Glucose is an aldohexose, which means it has six carbon atoms and an aldehyde group.
- The chain structure of glucose includes a linear form with alternating hydroxyl (OH) groups on carbon atoms.

**Galactose:**
- Like glucose, galactose is also an aldohexose.
- The primary difference lies in the orientation of the hydroxyl groups. Specifically, the OH group on carbon 4 in galactose is on the opposite side compared to the OH group on carbon 4 in glucose.

By examining the structural formulas:

**Glucose:**
```
    CHO
    |
    H-C-OH
    |
    OH-C-H
    |
    H-C-OH
    |
    H-C-OH
    |
    H-C-OH
    |
    CH2OH
```

**Galactose:**
```
    CHO
    |
    H-C-OH
    |
    OH-C-H
    |
    OH-C-H
    |
    H-C-OH
    |
    H-C-OH
    |
    CH2OH
```

#### Summary:
The difference between glucose and galactose is the position of the hydroxyl group on the fourth carbon atom. This slight alteration in structure accounts for the different properties and functions in biological systems despite having the same molecular formula, C\(_6\)H\(_12\)O\(_6\).
Transcribed Image Text:### Structures of Glucose and Galactose #### Assignment: - **Draw the structures of both glucose and galactose in a chain structure.** - **Write a short description of the differences in their structures.** - **Explain why they share the same molecular formula C\(_6\)H\(_12\)O\(_6\).** #### Explanation: Both glucose and galactose are monosaccharides with the same molecular formula, C\(_6\)H\(_12\)O\(_6\), categorizing them as isomers. Isomers are compounds that have the same molecular formula but differ in the arrangement of atoms within the molecule, leading to different physical and chemical properties. #### Structure Description: **Glucose:** - Glucose is an aldohexose, which means it has six carbon atoms and an aldehyde group. - The chain structure of glucose includes a linear form with alternating hydroxyl (OH) groups on carbon atoms. **Galactose:** - Like glucose, galactose is also an aldohexose. - The primary difference lies in the orientation of the hydroxyl groups. Specifically, the OH group on carbon 4 in galactose is on the opposite side compared to the OH group on carbon 4 in glucose. By examining the structural formulas: **Glucose:** ``` CHO | H-C-OH | OH-C-H | H-C-OH | H-C-OH | H-C-OH | CH2OH ``` **Galactose:** ``` CHO | H-C-OH | OH-C-H | OH-C-H | H-C-OH | H-C-OH | CH2OH ``` #### Summary: The difference between glucose and galactose is the position of the hydroxyl group on the fourth carbon atom. This slight alteration in structure accounts for the different properties and functions in biological systems despite having the same molecular formula, C\(_6\)H\(_12\)O\(_6\).
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