Here we do a complete run-down of 29 key terms to know in a typical carbohydrate chemistry chapter such as anomer, epimers, alpha vs beta and more.

The only differences between the Haworth Projection of the alpha or beta form of a single carbohydrate, is how the OH (and carbon 1 if furanose ring) is arranged around the anomeric carbon to determine whether the molecule is alpha or beta.

Glycosidic bonds (or glycosidic linkages) can be an alpha or beta type. An alpha bond is formed when the OH group on the carbon-1 of the first glucose is below the ring plane, and a beta bond is formed when the OH group on the carbon-1 is above the ring plane.

When the cyclic monosaccharide forms, there are two versions that can form, called \(\alpha\) (alpha\) and \(\beta\) (beta) (see figure below). The arrow in the figure indicates the anomeric carbon which it the location where the ring forms and where the orientation of the \(\ce{-OH}\) group can change.

Both alpha and beta glucose have the same molecular formula but differ only in the direction of their -OH (hydroxyl) and -H (hydrogen) groups on carbon 1. Alpha glucose has the -OH attached below the ring, while beta glucose has its -OH group above the ring.