Sugar Formula

Simple carbohydrates that are soluble in water and sweet in taste are called “sugar”. Sugar is white in color and does not have any odor. It is the richest source of energy. The sugar molecule is the most common term used in organic chemistry in biomolecules. Sugar formula is also called sucrose molecular formula. In this article, we will explain the types of carbohydrates, cane sugar formula, the chemical formula of glucose, and fructose formula.

Types of Carbohydrate 

On the basis of the number of saccharides in hydrolysis reaction, it can be classified as monosaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides.

Monosaccharides

These are simple sugar with the molecular formulas C₆H₁₂O₆. These are the substances that are quite easily dissolved in water.

This further includes three types of sugars which are glucose, fructose and galactose.

• These are the simplest sugars that cannot be further hydrolyzed.

• In their generalized formula x is always equal to y means the number of carbon and oxygen atoms are the same.

• All monosaccharides exist in d and l form, except the dihydroxyacetone.

• Its structure can be either a ring or a straight chain.

• Six membered rings are known as pyranose and five-membered rings are furanose.

• Example- glucose, fructose, galactose, mannose.

Fructose Formula:

These are also called fruit sugars. Fructose contains five hydroxyl groups and one carbonyl group with a cyclic structure. Apart from these, these types of monosaccharides are easily dissolved in water. Fructose also occurs naturally in honey, cane sugar and even in some vegetable roots.

Fructose is an isomer of glucose. Its chemical formula is C₆H₁₂O₆. In this formula C represents the carbon, H represents hydrogen and O represents oxygen.

Fructose Structure

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Chemical Formula of Glucose

Glucose is an isomer of fructose and epimer of galactose and mannose. Its chemical formula is C₆H₁₂O₆. In the chemical formula of glucose C represents carbon, H represents hydrogen and O represents oxygen.

Glucose Structure

Glucose occurs naturally in fruits and plants which are a primary product of photosynthesis. Glucose has a huge chemistry of its own. This is widely used and has a wide range of functions. In plants, the starch from the plants is converted into glucose.

Glucose Straight Chain Structure

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Oligosaccharides

• These are the carbohydrates that on hydrolysis gives 2 to 10 monosaccharides.

• In oligosaccharides, the monosaccharide is linked together by glycosidic bonds.

• These can be further classified into disaccharides, trisaccharides, tetrasaccharides, and Pentasaccharides.

• Example: sucrose, maltose, and lactose.

Sucrose

• Sucrose is a disaccharide of glucose and fructose.

• Sucrose is called cane sugar or table sugar or commercial sugar.

• Sucrose is also known as invert sugar.

• It is a non-reducing sugar.

• The direction of glycosidic linkage in sucrose is 1’-2”.

• Its molecular weight is 342.3 g/mol.

Sucrose Formula

Sugar, sucrose, and cane sugar are the same molecule. The sucrose chemical formula is C₁₂ H₂₂ O₁₁. In sugar molecular formula C represents carbon, H represents hydrogen and O represents oxygen. 12 atoms of carbon, 22 atoms of hydrogen, and 11 atoms of oxygen combine to form one molecule of sucrose.

Sucrose Structure

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Polysaccharides

A polysaccharide is composed of a large number of monosaccharide units. These are insoluble in nature and do not taste sweet. Example: starch and cellulose.

1. Galactose:

This type of monosaccharides do not exist in a free state and are a constituent of the disaccharide known as lactose. These types of monosaccharides are also known as milk sugar and are very less sweet than glucose. These are found generally on the surface of red blood cells or blood groups.

2. Disaccharides:

Disaccharides are a combination of two monosaccharides excluding a molecule of water. The chemical formula for the disaccharide is C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁. These involve lactose, maltose and sucrose.

3. Lactose:

Lactose is generally found in milk. The constituents of lactose include galactose and glucose. When eaten up, these are broken down into their constituent particles in the process of digestion with the help of the enzyme lactase.

4. Maltose:

Maltose is generally found during the germination of grains such as barley which is further converted into malt. The constituent particles of the maltose are two molecules of glucose. Generally, these substances are less sweeter than glucose, fructose or sucrose. During the digestion process, starch is broken down to amylase which further divides itself in order to form maltose. 

5. Sucrose:

These are found generally in the roots of the sugar beet or sugarcane. In other plants, especially in plants and fruits, these are grown sideways of fructose and glucose. The constituent particles of sucrose are glucose and fructose. After being eaten, these are divided into their constituent particles with the help of enzymes known as sucrases.

Sugar was introduced by the language of Sanskrit in which is termed Sarkara. The word sarkara implies ground or candied sugar which came from the Persian word called shakkar. In the late 12th century the French used the term sucre. And finally, the English term is used, which we popularly know as sugar. 

Before the word sugar was introduced English used to use the word "jaggery" a coarse brown sugar made from date palm sap which is also known as sugarcane juices which has a similar etymological origin too. It was first introduced by the Portuguese word name "jagara" which was further derived from the Malayalam word cakkara. This word also further goes back to the Sanskrit word which is Sarkara making it the origin of the word sugar.

Sugar:

Sugar can be also called sweet-tasting and is widely used in food. These are highly soluble in carbohydrates. Simple sugar comprises the monosaccharides which include glucose, fructose and galactose. On the other hand, the compound sugar comprises disaccharides or double sugars which are joined with each other with the help of the glycosidic bonds. Some of the common examples of sugars are sucrose which is made of glucose and fructose, lactose which is made of glucose and galactose, and maltose which includes two molecules of glucose. 

The general formula for sugar is C_nH_2nO_n where "n" lies between 3 and 7

Related History of Sugar:

In India, Uttar Pradesh is known as the bowl of sugar. This is because 38.61% of the total sugar was produced by Uttar Pradesh itself. The places which contributed to the production of sugar involving the maximum sugar cane farming are Buland Shahar, Saharanpur, Meerut and Bareilly in UP. 

During world war I, it was stated that " No war in history has been fought so largely on sugar and so little on alcohol". The following statement was said because of the fact that sugar was very rationed during the first world war. Although, the second world war led to a sharp fight because of alcohol. The rationing of sugar also led to the higher production of artificial sweeteners. 

Conclusion

The sugar molecule is a simple carbohydrate that is soluble in water and sweet in taste. carbohydrates can be classified into three types: monosaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides. The sugar chemical formula is  C₁₂ H₂₂ O₁₁ , the fructose formula is C₆H₁₂O₆ and the chemical formula of glucose is C₆H₁₂O₆ .