What is Glucose?
Glucose is a simple sugar (carbohydrate) that is the most abundant monosaccharide this is also known as Dextrose. It is the primary source of energy for all living organisms. It is produced during the process of photosynthesis in plants and stored in plants in the form of Starch and in animals in the form of Glycogen. Glucose is also found in the bloodstream of Humans, where it is referred to as blood sugar, and is regulated by the Hormone Insulin.
Glucose is also called Grape Sugar and is the main source of energy for Human Beings. Now let’s learn about the preparation and uses of Glucose in this article.
Preparation of Glucose
Glucose is produced by various methods and some of them are discussed below,
- From Sucrose (Cane Sugar): If we boil sucrose in an alcoholic solution with dilute HCl and H2SO4, the result of the reaction is equal part Glucose and equal part Fructose and the following reaction is,
C12H22O11(Sucrose)+ H2O → C6H12O6 (Glucose)+ C6H12O6 (Fructose)
- From Starch: The hydrolysis of starch with diluted H2SO4 at 393 K under high-pressure results in the formation of Glucose and the following reaction is,
(C6H10O4)n (Starch or cellulose) + nH2O + H+ → nC6H12O6 (Glucose)
Uses of Glucose
Various uses of Glucose are,
- Glucose provides energy to the human body for all its metabolic activities.
- Glucose is given to the patient who is extremely ill and is unable to digest food on its own.
- Glucose is used in the treatment of low blood sugar.
- Glucose is used as the monomer for various polymer reactions.
Difference Between Glucose And Fructose
Glucose and Fructose are both carbohydrates and simple monosaccharide sugars that are required by the human body for its regular metabolism activities. Both glucose and fructose are commonly found in fruits, vegetables, and other foods. Glucose is created by breaking down disaccharides or polysaccharides, which are larger sugar molecules. And, fructose is found in its simplest form in fruits and vegetables like beets, corn, and potatoes. Before proceeding further let’s learn in brief about Monosaccharide, and Disaccharides
Monosaccharide: The basic form of sugar is called a monosaccharide, this is the sugar that provides energy to the human body for performing various activities. Examples of monosaccharides are Glucose and Fructose.
Disaccharides: Molecules formed by the joining of two or more monosaccharides are called disaccharides or double sugar. Examples of disaccharides are Sucrose, Maltose, and Lactose.
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