Where is the point of attack of the enzymes which act on carbohydrates?

Question

Specifically, where on the structural formula?

steve_geo1- I have no idea what that means. I have not taken chemistry, this is a question that will be on my biology test.
Could you specifically say between what two elements the enzymes act on?

Answer 1

At the 1-position. For example, if there is a 1-*alpha*- or 1-*beta*-glycoside bond (where glycoside means glucoside, fructoside, galactoside, or mannoside), then the enzyme cleaves the bond there. The 1-position of that first sugar may be bonded to the 4- or 6-position of another. It doesn't matter. The enzyme recognizes 1-*alpha*- or 1-*beta*- linkages.