Assignment Of Biochemistry

Submitted to = Sir Iqbal Alvi

Submitted By = Huzaifa Farooq

Department = BS
MICROBIOLOGY
Semester = 1st
Question:-
Write importance and Functions of
Carbohydrates?
As my assignment topic is functions of carbohydrates.
But before going to explain functions of carbohydrates Its
important to know about carbohydrates:-

Carbohydrates:-
Name Meaning:-
Carbohydrate is the combination of three words:-
 Carbo means carbon
 Hyder means hydrogen
 Ates means the presence of oxygen
It means carbohydrates are biomolecules which are
comprised up of three main elements:-
1. Carbon
2. Hydrogen
3. Oxygen
Definition:-
Carbohydrates are poly hydroxyl aldehydes or ketones or
the substances which yield these substances on
hydrolysis.

Explanation:-
Carbohydrates are very important and basic
biomolecules which plays a lot of roles in the body of
living organism. Glucose is a very basic carbohydrate
which is the reactant for respiration and respiration is
the very important phenomenon performed by living
organisms for the production of energy to perform
different functions of life. Another very important
function of carbohydrates is that they form the structure
of living organisms. They are stored in the living body of
almost all living organisms. Whenever they are required
for production of energy they are utilized in body and
energy is produced
Types Of Carbohydrates:-
There are three basic types of carbohydrates
 Monosaccharides
 Oligosaccharides
 Polysaccharides

Monosaccharides:-
Monosaccharides are the monomers of carbohydrates
they have two basic properties that they are sweet in
taste and they are soluble in water.

Oligosaccharides:-
When two to nine monosaccharides are combined
together they form oligosaccharides

Polysaccharides:-
Polysaccharides are the polymers of carbohydrates when
more than nine monosaccharides combine together they
form a polysaccharide and they are tasteless and they
are Insoluble in water
Functions And Importance Of
Carbohydrates:-
Carbohydrates have multiple and diverse functions in the
body of living organisms. They have prominent
physiological importance in the human body so without
them neither the physiology of body nor the existence of
life is possible on this earth. After water and proteins,
carbohydrates comprise largest matter in the body and
are the major nutrients of the body. There are many
functions of carbohydrates in the body of living
organisms some of them are listed below:-

1) Source Of Energy:-
Carbohydrates act as a source of energy. Carbohydrates
play an important role in the nutrition because they are
the primary source of energy for performing the bodily
functions. So they act as a body Fuel.
1 gram of carbohydrates on respiration provides 4kcal
of energy.
A greater part of energy is supplied by carbohydrates
which is more than 50-70% of the total energy.
Although fats and proteins can also be burn to provide
energy but Carbohydrates are the Principal source of
energy. All different types of animals derive their major
portion of energy from carbohydrates in their diet.
Glucose is the monosaccharide of carbohydrates and is
the most abundant carbohydrate. Glucose is the reactant
of the respiration.
Respiration is a process in which complex molecules are
broken down into simpler molecules for the production
of energy. Glucose is a carbohydrate and reactant of
cellular respiration:-
Glucose  Carbon dioxide + Water + ATP
Where ATP is the acceptable form of energy for living
organisms which is used to perform the cellular functions
Carbohydrates are the only source of brain cells. So
carbohydrates are important for the development and
nourishment of brain cells.
 2) Storage Of Energy:-
Carbohydrates are the energy storage molecules. The
extra carbohydrates which are not required by the body
are stored in the living body in the form of
polysaccharides. When the body requires energy these
polysaccharides are converted back to monosaccharides
and then broken down by respiration for the production
of energy

Glycogen is a polysaccharide and storage form of

carbohydrate in the Animals. Animals store their
carbohydrates in the form of glycogen which is stored in
the different organs of the body and whenever the body
requires energy in the emergency this glycogen is
converted back to glucose and used in the animal body
for production of energy.

Starch is also a polysaccharide and storage form of

carbohydrates in the Plants. Plants store their
carbohydrates in the form of Starch which is stored in the
different organs of the plant body and whenever the
plant body requires energy in the emergency this starch
is converted back to monosaccharide and used in the
plant body for production of energy.

3) Structural Components:-
A lot of carbohydrates play an important role in making
structure of living bodies and their parts
Chitin is a polysaccharide which forms the exoskeleton of
arthropods like coachroges
The wall of the fungi is also composed of chitin which is
the very important structure of fungi
Likewise the prokaryotic cell wall we know is made up of
peptidoglycan, the glycan portion of peptidoglycan is
also a polysaccharide. The NAM (N-ACETYL-MURAMIC
ACID) and NAG (N-ACETYL-GALACTOSE AMINE) are
bonded alternately in the peptidoglycan layers, These are
the polysaccharides so carbohydrates also play a function
as structural component.
In plant cells their cell wall is made up of cellulose which
is a polysaccharide so carbohydrates play structural
function in plants.
Glycoprotein and glycol lipids are also the major
structural component of cell membrane.

4) As An ANTI-COAGULANT:-
Some carbohydrates play the function of anticoagulant
Heparin is a polysaccharide which act as an anti-
coagulant and thus prevent intravascular clotting.

5) As An Antigen:-
There are many antigens that are glycoprotein in nature
which contains oligosaccharides and give immunological
properties to the blood like blood antigens.

6) As Cell Receptors And In Synaptic

Transmission:-
Carbohydrates act as cell receptors and are involve in
synaptic transmission also. Glyco lipids such as
sphingolipids and gangleocytes have roles at receptor
sites on cells and in synaptic transmission.
 7) As An Intra-Cellular Cement:-
Heteropolysacharides, specifically muccopolysaccharides
have important water-holding or binding property in
many sites of the body. They occur in basement
membranes and in intracellular cement and form an
integral part of cartilage, tendon, skin and synovial fluid.

8) In Detoxification:-
Another very important function of carbohydrates is in
detoxification process. Detoxification is a speciall
function of carbohydrates in liver. It has been found that
the liver of healthy animals is rich in glycogen. Such a
liver can resist to certain poisons such as carbon tetra
chloride, alcohol ,arsenics and toxins of bacteria than the
liver having low glycogen.
In addition many drugs and toxic wastes are metabolized
for the easy excretion from body. Some of these are
water insoluble and hence its difficult to excrete such
wastes through urine, body converts them to
glucunonyle conjugate using the glucuronyle
moityderived from carbohydrates. Glucose is a
carbohydrate which combine with the uranic acid to
form glucuronate. This glucuronate is more soluble in
water and thus easily excreted from the body.

9) Lipid Metabolism:-
Carbohydrates are also involved in lipid metabolism. As
blood glucose level rises the use of lipid as an energy
source is inhibited. Thus glucose additionally has a “fat
sparing” effect

10) Constitute Genetic Material:-

Carbohydrates also constitute genetic material. Like DNA
and RNA are the molecules in which the carbohydrates
are present in the form of deoxyribose and ribose sugar.
These pentose sugars are made in carbohydrates
metabolism.

11) As Harmone:-
Carbohydrates can also function as a harmone. There are
many harmones which are carbohydrates in nature. Like
FSH (Follicle Stimulating Harmone) and LH (leutinizing
Harmone) which are glycoprotein in nature.
 12) Synthesis Of Some Non-Essential
Amino Acids:-
Some non-essential amino acids are also synthesized
from carbohydrates.

13)As A deitry Fibre:-

The complex carbohydrates that are not digested by the
human gut enzymes are collectively called as dietry
fibers. These include cellulose, hemicelloluse, pectin,
gums, ligin and mucllages.
It should be noted that some of the fibers such as gums
and liginin can be digested by intestinal bacterial
enzymes.

14)Protein Sparing Action:-

The most important function of carbohydrates is protein
sparing action. Carbohydrates are utilized by body for
fulfilling the need of energy thus sparing proteins for
tissue building and repairing. When adequate glucose is
present in the body then proteins are spared from the
breakdown that is oxidation. This function of
carbohydrate as a serving source of energy and
preventing dietry proteins from being oxidized and
preventing excess tissue breakdown is called protein
sparing action of carbohydrates.

15)Protection Of Cells:-
As cell wall is responsible for the protection of cell from
osmotic pressure, cell shrinkage and cell bursting. So one
of the most important function of carbohydrates is to
protect the cell
Plant cell wall is composed of Cellulose. Which is a
polysaccharide and is responsible for the protection of
plant cell
Bacterial cell wall is composed of Peptidoglycan. Which
is a polysaccharide and is responsible for the protection
of bacterial cell
Fungal cell wall is composed of Chitin. Which is a
polysaccharide and is responsible for the protection of
Fungal cell

16) Provide Raw Material For Industry:-

Carbohydrates provide raw material for various
industries. So carbohydrates are an important
component of many industries like textile and paper.
Agar is a polysaccharide which is used in the culture
media, laxative and food
Dextron which is also a polysaccharide has many
applications such as in eye drops as lubricant

17)Health Benefit Of Fibers:-

Fibers have got many health benefits like:
Maintains the normal motility of gastro intestinal tract
and prevents constipations
Fibers eliminate bacterial toxins
They lowers incidence of cancers of gastro intestinal
tract
Fibers decrease the absorption of deitry cholesterol from
the intestine that is they have cholesterol lowering
effect and decrease the risk of heart diseases.