Sahana Kapilan
Block D Chem 11
MY ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
SUCROSE
Name and structure of the organic compound:
Structure of sucrose1:
Chemical Formula of sucrose2:
(C12H22O11)
3-D model of sucrose structure3:
How is sucrose made?
Sucrose (C12H22O11) is a common organic compound that is used in everyday life.
It is most often referred to as table sugar or sugar. Sucrose or saccharose is a
carbohydrate. It is an organic compound that is made up of both fructose and glucose
units.4 Sucrose is known as a disaccharide which is a type of carbohydrate consisting of
two monosaccharides linked together by covalent bonds.5 Sucrose is formed when
glucose and fructose (both monosaccharide units) are joined together by an alpha bond.6
Sucrose is often obtained from plants such as sugar canes or sugar beets. Plants produce
sucrose through photosynthesis.7 The plant takes in carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air
through its leaves and absorbs water from the ground through its roots.8 Then it combines
the two components to make sucrose, which is the natural sugar that is formed by plants,
using energy from the sun.9 Table sugar as we know it is taken and processed from the
sugars that plants like the sugar cane or sugar beet produce.
1
http://www.3dchem.com/molecules.asp?ID=59
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1386564/sucrose
3
http://www.3dchem.com/molecules.asp?ID=59
4
http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/vchembook/546sucrose.html
5
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Disaccharide
6
http://www.faqs.org/nutrition/Ca-De/Carbohydrates.html
7
http://www.sucrose.com/learn.html
8
http://www.sucrose.com/learn.html
9
http://www.ehow.com/how-does_5426096_sucrose-made.html
2
When extracting table sugar from a sugar cane, there are five steps, first the cane
is pressed so that all of the juice in the cane can be released, this is where the sugar is
coming from.10 Next, the juice is boiled until the sugar in it becomes crystallized and then
it is placed in a device called a centrifuge, which is used to take out any moisture or pulp,
leaving only the sugar.11 The result is impure raw sugar, which is then sent to a refinery
to be purified, crystallized and packaged.12
What is sucrose used for and how does it affect us?
The human body requires carbohydrates for energy and everyday function. Since
sucrose is a carbohydrate, it is an important substance for the human body.13 When the
body absorbs sucrose, it breaks it down into glucose and fructose.14 Then it absorbs the
glucose and turns the fructose into even more glucose to be absorbed by the body.15
Sucrose which is found in many of our foods is an organic compound that can easily be
absorbed by our blood and is used for energy.16 So how do our bodies take in sucrose?
Sucrose is used in many different foods that we eat, mainly as a sweetener. Some
common uses of sucrose are, preservatives in jams and preserves, enhancing flavour in
preserved meats, adding sweetness to baking, ice cream, tea, coffee, etc.17 Sucrose is also
used for food for yeast in baking, cider and beer and for delaying staleness in baked
goods and is a crucial ingredient in many snack foods.18 Sucrose in food is the most
common way that people use it, but sucrose is also found in plastics, foams, inks, and
soap.19 It is also the starting material for the fermentative production of butanol, ethanol,
glycerol and citric acid.20 These are only a few examples for the many uses of sucrose.
As important as sucrose is for our everyday lives, overconsumption of it may lead
to health problems in people. Tooth decay is a common problem associated with sucrose.
Tooth decay is caused by the sugar that gets turned into acid by bacteria that is in the
mouth.21 Nutritionists say that foods with sucrose also contribute to heart problems.22
Excess sugar consumption can cause the body to produce too much insulin in some
individuals, which can lead to diseases like atherosclerosis.23 High sucrose intake is also
thought to take certain nutrients from the body like chromium.24 Chromium deficiency
10
http://www.ehow.com/how-does_5426096_sucrose-made.html
http://www.ehow.com/how-does_5426096_sucrose-made.html
12
http://www.ehow.com/how-does_5426096_sucrose-made.html
13
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-sucrose.htm
14
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-sucrose.htm
15
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-sucrose.htm
16
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-sucrose.htm
17
http://web1.caryacademy.org/chemistry/rushin/StudentProjects/CompoundWebSites/1999/Sucrose/uses.ht
m
18
http://web1.caryacademy.org/chemistry/rushin/StudentProjects/CompoundWebSites/1999/Sucrose/uses.ht
m
19
http://web1.caryacademy.org/chemistry/rushin/StudentProjects/CompoundWebSites/1999/Sucrose/uses.ht
m
20
http://web1.caryacademy.org/chemistry/rushin/StudentProjects/CompoundWebSites/1999/Sucrose/uses.ht
m
21
http://www.health-diets.net/healthsearch/sucrose.htm
22
http://www.health-diets.net/healthsearch/sucrose.htm
23
http://www.health-diets.net/healthsearch/sucrose.htm
24
http://www.health-diets.net/healthsearch/sucrose.htm
11
has been linked to diabetes and heart problems.25 Depending on the individual, too much
intake of sucrose, leads to too much production of insulin which in turn leads to lack of
sodium excretion, meaning that not enough sodium is being taken out of the body.26
These are some of the dangers of consuming too much sucrose. If sucrose is eaten and
taken in on a healthy level, then it won’t cause any serious harm. As it is with any organic
compound, there are always advantages and disadvantages.
Interesting facts about sucrose:
An interesting use of sucrose is the production of sucrose polyester.27 Sucrose
polyester (Sucrose octaoleate) is an artificial fat that was first created in the 1960’s by
Robert Volpenhein and Fred Mattson in a research lab in Miami Valley.28 It often sold
under the names Olestra or Olean and is used as an additive in diet foods.29 Sucrose
polyester is a molecule that is too big to be digested by the human body; therefore there
are no calories when a person consumes it.30 It is sweet and flavourful like sucrose, but it
passes through the digestive system without being absorbed or taken in by the body,
making it a popular compound in foods that are low-calorie.31
32
Sucrose is often used as a preservative in foods, but another interesting use of
sucrose as a preservative, is in flowers. To keep cut flowers fresh, adding a teaspoon of
table sugar to the water in the vase will allow the flowers to absorb the sucrose and use it
as food which will enable it to stay alive longer.33
Sucrose in some countries is also used as an alternative fuel. Brazil is among a
few tropical countries that ferment sugar cane to make ethanol, and then use it as fuel for
25
http://www.health-diets.net/healthsearch/sucrose.htm
http://www.health-diets.net/healthsearch/sucrose.htm
27
http://www.bookrags.com/research/sucrose-polyester-chmc/
28
http://www.bookrags.com/research/sucrose-polyester-chmc/
29
http://www.bookrags.com/research/sucrose-polyester-chmc/
30
http://www.bookrags.com/research/sucrose-polyester-chmc/
31
http://www.bookrags.com/research/sucrose-polyester-chmc/
32
http://extoxnet.orst.edu/faqs/additive/olestra.gif
33
http://www.sugar.org/consumers/kids_cube.asp?id=138
26
cars.34 It is mainly used for light-weight vehicles, but it is a very sustainable biofuel and
is known to reduce approximately 61% of greenhouse gas emissions.35
ETHANOL GAS STATION IN BRAZIL36
34
http://www.sugar.org/consumers/kids_cube.asp?id=138
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol_fuel_in_Brazil
36
http://www.agmrc.org/media/cms/gaspump_248B618C5FDBD.jpg
35