Chapter 4 – Carbohydrates

Functions of Carbohydrates:
1. Provides a source of energy
 Main role of carbo is to provide for out body’s daily activities
 Carbo are consumed and broken down into glucose to provide our body energy.
 If glucose is not needed immediately, it is converted to glycogen & stored in our
livers & muscles
 Glycogen acts as a short-term energy reserve in our body
2. Aids the digestion of food
 There are some carbo which do not provide energy to our body.
 They are known as non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) or dietary fibre.
 They help in the elimination of waste materials from our body.
The elements of carbohydrates:

Carbon (C), Hydrogen (H) & Oxygen (O)

6 CO + 62 H2O C 6 H 12 06 +6O 2

6 carbon dioxide molecules + 6 water molecules  1 glucose molecule + 6 oxygen

molecules
The 3 main types of carbohydrates:
Monosaccharides, disaccharides (Both simple carbohydrate) & Polysaccharides (complex
carbohydrate)

SIMPLE CARBOHYDRATES
1. Monosaccharides
 simplest form of sugar molecules
 aka single sugar
 dissolve easily in water to form colourless, sweet solutions
 3 types of monosaccharides: Glucose, Galactose & Fructose (GGF)

Glucose Galactose Fructose

 Simplest form of sugar  Linked with glucose to form  Aka fruit sugar
 Found naturally in ripe fruit & lactose  Naturally in ripe fruit
honey  Lactose  Disaccharide Found in honey
 Commercially produced from found in milk
cereals like maize (Corn)

2. Disaccharides
  Aka double sugars
 Made up of 2 monosaccharides molecules joined together
 White crystalline solids  Sweet & Soluble in water
 3 types of disaccharides: Sucrose, Maltose & Lactose (SML)

Sucrose Maltose Lactose

 Aka cane sugar, table  Aka malt sugar  Aka milk sugar
sugar  Made up of 2 glucose  Made up of Glucose &
 Made up of Glucose & molecules Galactose
Fructose  Obtained from cereal  Found in milk products
 Made from the refined grains such as barley
juices of sugarcane and  Used in making candies &
sugar beet corn syrups
COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES
Polysaccharides
 Complex carbohydrates which are made up of many monosaccharides molecules
linked together
 Most are not sweet & not soluble

Glycogen
 A form of carbohydrate which acts as a short-
term energy reserve in our body
 Excess glucose converted to glycogen
 Stored in our muscles & livers
 Can be converted back to glucose when the
body requires energy/
 Excess glycogen which is not used by the
body will be converted to body fats
Cellulose
 Strong structural material which provides
support to plants
 Made up of many glucose moleucles which
are linked together
 Does not dissolve in water & cannot be
digested
 Aid digestion by making it easier to remove
waste from our body
 4 types of polysaccharides: Glycogen, Starch, Cellulose & Pectin
Starch
 Produced by plants
 After photosynthesis, plants store their
excess glucose by converting it to starch.
 Starch is made up of many glucose
molecules which are linked together.
 E.g. of starchy food:
- Cereals such as wheat, rice & oats
- Root & stem vegetables such as
potatoes, yam & Tapioca
Pectin
 Mostly found in citrus fruits, apples & plums
 When consumed  Lowers blood sugar &
blood cholesterol levels in our body.
 Soluble in water
 Commonly used as a setting agent for jams
& jellies.