What are 4 examples of disaccharides?

The broad category of carbohydrates, which is further divided into various categories, including fibre and sugars, can be found on the side of a cereal box. Sucrose is a disaccharide, and those sugars are an example of it.

A disaccharide is two monosaccharides united into one, as one might expect from the di- prefix, which means “two.” A disaccharide is formed when two monosaccharides combine in a chemical process known as dehydration synthesis, which results in the loss of a water molecule. The condensation reaction is another term for this phenomenon. The disaccharide sucrose is created when the monosaccharides fructose and glucose are combined.



What are Disaccharides?

Disaccharides are the carbohydrates that on hydrolysis carry two identical or disparate monosaccharides. Their general formula is C12H12O11.  The consequential building blocks belonging to disaccharides are sucrose, maltose, and lactose. On hydrolysis with dilute acids or enzymes, these carry the following two molecules of monosaccharides.  

C12H12O11 (sucrose) + H2O C6H12O6 (glucose) + C6H12O6 (fructose)

C12H12O11 (Maltose) + H2O ⭢ C6H12O6 (glucose) + C6H12O6 (glucose)

C12H12O11 (Lactose) + H2O ⭢ C6H12O6 (glucose) + C6H12O6 (Galactose)

The disaccharides are fashioned up of two molecules of monosaccharides associated with each other by the condensation reaction. The associating is crystallized exactly as hemiacetals react with alcohols to solidify acetal with the elimination of a water molecule.  

In a similar way, the hydroxyl groups of hemiacetals of two monosaccharides nits condense to form a disaccharide. The two monosaccharide units are linked to each other through an oxygen atom by a bond called glycosidic linkage.

Examples of Disaccharides

Sucrose

It’s the most familiar disaccharide and is extensively apportioned in plants specifically sugar cane and sugar beet. It’s fashioned either from cane sugar or sugar beet. The sugar acquired from sugar beet is called beet sugar. It’s a tintless, crystalline, and sweet substance. It’s veritably soluble in water and its aqueous solution is dextrorotatory having (a) p = 66. °. On hydrolysis with dilute acids or enzyme invertase, cane sugar gives an equimolar admixture of)-glucose and D- (-)-fructose. 

C12H22O11 (Sucrose) +H₂O ⭢ C6H12O6 D-(+)-Glucose + C6H12O6 D-(-)-Fructose

Sucrose is dextrorotatory but after hydrolysis gives dextrorotatory glucose and laevorotatory fructose. D-(-)-fructose has a higher concrete gyration than D-(+)-glucose. Thus, the attendant result upon hydrolysis is laevorotatory nature with distinct gyration of (-39.9°). Since there’s a modification in the sign gyration from Dextro before hydrolysis to leave after hydrolysis, the reaction is called inversion reaction and the admixture (glucose and fructose) is called invert sugar.  

Sucrose solution is fermented by yeast when the enzyme invertase hydrolysis the sucrose to glucose and fructose and enzyme zymase proselytizes these monosaccharides to ethanol.  

C11H12O11 (sucrose) + H2O ⭢ C6H12O6 (glucose) + C6H12O6 (fructose)

C6H12O6 (glucose or fructose) + H2O ⭢ 2C2H6OH (Ethanol) + 2CO2

Maltose

It is known as malt sugar. It is the principal disaccharide obtained by the partial hydrolysis of starch by an enzyme present in malt (sprouted barley seeds).

2(C6H10O5)n (Starch) + nH2O ⭢  nC12H22O11 (Maltose)

On Hydrolysis, one mole of maltose gives two moles of α-D glucose. It is a reducing sugar. It is composed of α-D-glucose units which are condensed together through C1 of one unit and C4 of the other unit. Both glucose relatives are in pyranose form.

Lactose

Lactose occurs in milk and, thus, it’s also called milk sugar.  Lactose on hydrolysis with dilute acid gives an equimolar mixture of β-D glucose and B-D-galactose. It’s reducing sugar. Thus, it’s formulated of β-D-glucose and β-D-galactose units. These units are held together by the glycosidic connection between the C₁ of galactose and the C4 of the glucose unit.  

Lactose gets hydrolyzed by emulsion, an enzyme that especially hydrolyses glycosidic linkages.  

Sugar and Sweetness

The monosaccharides and disaccharides possess a sweet flavour and, thus, they’re called sugars. The degree of sweetness, still, varies as shown below-

Sugar

Relative sweetness

Lactose

16

Maltose

32

Galactose

32

Glucose

74

Sucrose

100

Fructose

173

As is see-through from the table, fructose is the sweetest of all the natural sugars.  Nevertheless, it may be noted that in addition to carbohydrates, some other chemical compounds are also veritably sweet. For exemplification,  

  • Saccharin (applied as a man-made sweetener) is about 500 times as sweet as sucrose.
  • The protein monoallelic is around 2000 times sweeter than sucrose.
  • The peptide aspartame is around 160 times sweeter than sucrose.

Sample Questions

Question 1: Is a diet consisting mainly of rice an adequate diet? Why or why not? 

Ans. Adequate and good quality food is necessary for physical and mental development. This food enter with energy for our daily work. Nutritious food should contain carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and vitamins. Rice alone cannot supply these nutrients. Therefore, a diet mainly of rice is not an adequate diet.

Question 2: What is meant by the inversion of sugar?

Answer:

The alteration of the especial rotation of sugar from dextrorotatory to laevorotatory is called the inversion of sugar. 

Question 3: Amylose and cellulose are both straight chains polysaccharides containing only D-glucose units. What is the structural difference between the two?

Answer:

Amylose is a straight-chain polysaccharide having D-glucose units joined together by C-glycoside linkage involving C, of one glucose unit, and C, of the next glucose unit. On the other hand, cellulose is a straight t polysaccharide having D-glucose units joined by B-glycosidic linkages between C, of one glucose unit and C next glucose unit.

Question 4: What is reducing and non-reducing sugars? What is the structural feature characterizing reduce sugars?

Answer:

Sugars that can degrade Tollen’s reagent or Fehling’s solution are called reducing sugars. The sugars which de reduce Tollen’s reagent or Fehling solution are called non-reducing sugars.  

The distinctive structural affection of reducing sugars in the sight of either-hydroxy aldehyde g (-CHOH-CHO) similar as glucose, mannose, galactose, etc. α-hydroxy keto group (-CO-CH ₂ OH) as present in the fruit.

Question 5: What are the products of Hydrolysis of sucrose?

Answer:

Glucose and fructose are the products of the Hydrolysis of sucrose.

Question 6: What’s the nomenclature given away to the linkage which holds simultaneously monosaccharide units in polysaccharides?

Answer:

Glycosidic linkage is the linkage that holds simultaneously monosaccharide units in polysaccharides.  


A disaccharide (also called a double sugar ) is the sugar formed when two monosaccharides (simple sugars) are joined by glycosidic linkage. Like monosaccharides, disaccharides are soluble in water. Three common examples are sucrose, lactose, and maltose.

Table of Content

What are Disaccharides?

Disaccharides are those carbohydrates that on hydrolysis with acids or enzymes give two molecules of monosaccharides which can either be the same or different.

The oxide linkage is formed after the loss of the water molecule and then the two monosaccharides are formed by that linkage. When two monosaccharide units are joined via the oxygen atom then that linkage is called a glycosidic linkage.

What are 4 examples of disaccharides?

Structure of Disaccharides (Sucrose)

The most common disaccharide is sucrose which gives D -(+)- glucose and D-(-)- fructose on hydrolysis.

Both the monosaccharides i.e. glucose and fructose are connected through the glycosidic linkage between alpha glucose and second carbon beta fructose. Sucrose is a non-reducing sugar as both the reducing groups of glucose and fructose are involved in the glycosidic bond formation.

Examples of Disaccharides

1. Sucrose

Sucrose being dextrorotatory in nature gives dextrorotatory glucose as well as laevorotatory fructose on hydrolysis. The overall mixture is laevorotatory and this is because the laevorotation of fructose (-92.4) is more than the dextrorotation of glucose (+52.5).

What are 4 examples of disaccharides?

2. Maltose

Maltose is also one of the disaccharides which have two α -D-glucose units which are connected by the first carbon of the glucose and also linked to the fourth carbon of another glucose unit. In the solution, a free aldehyde can be produced at the first carbon of the second glucose of the solution and it is a reducing sugar as it shows reducing properties.

What are 4 examples of disaccharides?

3. Lactose

Commonly it is called milk sugar as this disaccharide is found in milk. It is made up of Beta-D-galactose and β-D-glucose. The bond is between the first carbon of galactose and the fourth carbon of glucose. This is also a reducing sugar.

What are 4 examples of disaccharides?

Some More Types of Disaccharides

There few more types which are not that popular, such as:

It is made up of 2 molecules of glucose which are linked differently. This can be found in fungi, plants, and insects.

It is formed from galactose and fructose. It is helpful for the treatment of constipation and liver diseases.

It is also made up of two glucose molecules which are also arranged differently. These can be seen bacteriology which is a form of chemical analysis.

It comprises two glucosamine molecules which are linked. It is seen in some bacteria, exoskeletons of insects and is also found in fish, octopus, and squid.


The general formula for carbohydrates is Cx(H2O)y.
Carbohydrates (or sugars) were originally believed to be “hydrates of carbon,” because they have the general formula Cx(H2O)y.

Disaccharides are the carbohydrates that on hydrolysis gives two same or different carbohydrates. Their general formula is C12H22O11.

Maltose which is also known as a disaccharide made up of two alpha D glucose unit. The two-unit of glucose are linked with an alpha 1,4 glycosidic bond.

Maltose is a disaccharide.

Yes, maltose gives a positive Fehling’s test.

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