Reducing sugars

[anguscat]

I really cant get my head around this. its for my As biology homework - what is the difference between reducing and non- reducing sugars?
and what reduction actually is.
thanks!

[Docsteve]

To be a reducing sugar the molecule must be able to supply electrons. Non-reducing sugars cannot do this. Reducing sugars have ketone -CO- or aldehyde -CHO groups that can act as electron suppliers so most monosaccharides and disaccharides are reducing sugars. These are easy to tell apart because only reducing sugars react to Benedict's solution.

[Docsteve]

Sorry Anguscat, I forgot your second part - what is reduction?

Reduction can either be the removal of oxygen or the addition of electrons (gain of electrons). Electron transfer is key to sugars. The sugar provides electrons and is called a reducing sugar because it reduces something else. The sugar is actually oxidised itself.