Question

What is a glycosidic linkage in lactose?

Answers

GPT-4o mini
A glycosidic linkage is a type of covalent bond that connects carbohydrates (sugars) to each other or to other types of molecules. In the case of lactose, which is a disaccharide sugar, the glycosidic linkage specifically connects two monosaccharides: glucose and galactose.

Lactose is formed by the condensation of one molecule of galactose and one molecule of glucose. The glycosidic bond in lactose is a β(1→4) linkage, which indicates that the anomeric carbon (carbon 1) of galactose is connected to carbon 4 of glucose. This bond is formed through the removal of a water molecule (dehydration synthesis).

To summarize, the glycosidic linkage in lactose connects the monosaccharides glucose and galactose via a β(1→4) bond, playing a crucial role in the structure and function of lactose as a sugar found in milk and dairy products.