Widdekind Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 A pure "Hydro-carbon" comprises a "Carbon-chain backbone", where each interstitial carbon carries 2xH, and the terminal carbons are "capped" by H: H-,C'-,C'-...-,C'-H (,C' = H-C-H) Hydro-carbons are named "number-ane" (e.g., hexane). A pure carbo-Hydrate -- what I would want to call a "Hydroxl-carbon" -- comprises the same sort of Carbon-chain backbone, but each interstitial carbon carries H+OH (and the terminal carbons are, again, "capped" by H): H-,C"-,C"...-,C"-H (,C" = H-C-OH) Hydroxl-carbons (carbo-Hydrates) are named "number-ose" (e.g., hexose), where some of the middling carbons carry 2xH, and others H+OH ?? Is there such a thing, as a "mixed", "Hydro-carbo-Hydrate" (Hydro-Hydroxl-carbon) ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hypervalent_iodine Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 Are you asking whether a hydrocarbon chain can carry multiple hydroxyl groups but not be a carbohydrate? The answer to that is, absolutely. The modern definition of a carbohydrate simply refers to it being a sugar, or a polyhydroxy aldehyde/ketone. So that leaves a whole bunch of potential compounds that have multiple hydroxyl groups, but that are not considered a carbohydrate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Cuthber Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 Probably the best know example is ordinary alcohol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mississippichem Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 Any combination of O, C, and H that doesn't fit the empirical formula [ce] C_{n}H_{2n}O_{n} [/ce] would fall under that category. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Cuthber Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 Any combination of O, C, and H that doesn't fit the empirical formula [ce] C_{n}H_{2n}O_{n} [/ce] would fall under that category. I'm not sure about that. Ether, for example, isn't an alcohol and nor is acetone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mississippichem Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 I'm not sure about that. Ether, for example, isn't an alcohol and nor is acetone. I was saying that ether and acetone are not carbohydrates but contain C, H, and O whereas for example ribose does fit the above mentioned formula and is a "carbohydrate" in the biochem sense. Maybe we are answering different questions? I see your point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Cuthber Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 He's specifically talking about compounds where some of the " carbons carry 2xH, and others H+OH ". That rules out ethers, esters, aldehydes, acids and ketones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Widdekind Posted June 18, 2011 Author Share Posted June 18, 2011 Thanks for the responses ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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