Biochemistry › Epimers, Chirality, and the Anomeric Carbon
Why is it that reducing sugars can be metabolized in humans, but non-reducing sugars cannot?
Because reducing sugars can open their cyclic structure into the straight chain form, whereas non-reducing sugars cannot
Because reducing sugars can bind to the proteins needed for metabolism, whereas non-reducing sugars cannot
Because humans lack the enzyme that degrades beta glycosidic linkages
Because only reducing sugars can traverse the cell membrane in order to enter cells where they can be metabolized, whereas non-reducing sugars cannot
Mirror-image stereoisomers are called __________.
enantiomers
diastereomers
anomers
epimers