Glucose

Glucose is a monosaccharide with the chemical formula of C₆H₁₂O₆. It is involved in many biological processes including glycolysis. Glycolysis involves the conversion of glucose, to pyruvate. This process is fundamental to respiration. Glucose can form a glycosidic bond with another glucose to form a disaccharide called maltose through a condensation reaction. Glucose monomers can be joined by α-1,4- glycosidic bond to form a polysaccharide molecule known as starch.

In open chain glucose Carbon 1 (the carbonyl carbon) is not chirally active. However in the ring structure, it becomes asymmetric, allowing it to form two ring structures: α-D-glucopyranose and β-D-glucopyranose^[1].

Image taken from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK22547/^[2]

The main family of transporters are known as the GLUT family with 5 known variants all with different properties and found in different tissues.

• GLUT1
• GLUT2
• GLUT3
• GLUT4
• GLUT5

References:

1. ↑ Berg J., Tymoczko J and Stryer L. (2012) Biochemistry, 7th edition, New York: WH Freeman. pg 333
2. ↑ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK22547/