CARBOHYDRATES

 The term ‘carbohydrate’ is derived from a French term ‘hydrate de carbone‘ meaning
‘hydrate of carbon‘.
 Carbohydrates, also called saccharides, are the most common type of organic compound.
Carbohydrate is a biomolecule consisting of carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) atoms,
usually with a hydrogen–oxygen atom ratio of 2:1 (as in water). / usually in the ratio of 1:2:1
( 1 - carbon; 2 - hydrogen; 1 - oxygen ), hence the general formula: Cn (H2O) n.
 Carbohydrates, or carbs, are sugar molecules. Along with proteins and fats, carbohydrates are
one of three main nutrients found in foods and drinks.
 Carbohydrate is the main source of energy for all living things.
 A carbohydrate is an organic compound such as sugar or starch, and is used to store energy.
Like most organic compounds, carbohydrates are built of small, repeating units that form
bonds with each other to make a larger molecule.
 Serve as structural components. For example, DNA contained the carbohydrate “ribose”; the
plant cell wall are made up of the carbohydrate “cellulose”.

 What are the different types of carbohydrates?

There are three main types of carbohydrates:

 SUGARS. They are also called simple carbohydrates because they are in the most basic form.
They can be added to foods, such as the sugar in candy, desserts, processed foods, and
regular soda. They also include the kinds of sugar that are found naturally in fruits,
vegetables, and milk.
 STARCHES. They are complex carbohydrates, which are made of lots of simple sugars
strung together. Your body needs to break starches down into sugars to use them for energy.
Starches include bread, cereal, and pasta. They also include certain vegetables, like potatoes,
peas, and corn.
 FIBER. It is also a complex carbohydrate. Your body cannot break down most fibers, so
eating foods with fiber can help you feel full and make you less likely to overeat. Diets high
in fiber have other health benefits. They may help prevent stomach or intestinal problems,
such as constipation. They may also help lower cholesterol and blood sugar. Fiber is found in
many foods that come from plants, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, and whole
grains.
 Types of carbohydrates (saccharides)

1. MONOSACCHARIDE - structurally containing up to six carbons. It is the simplest sugar

from which larger carbohydrates are formed.
 In the case of carbohydrates, the small repeating units are called monosaccharides.
 Monosaccharide is a simple sugar.

a. GLUCOSE - referred to as blood sugar; commercially known as dextrose.

 is used for energy by the cells of most organisms, and is a product of
photosynthesis.
 glucose generally results from the digestion of other carbohydrates.

b. FRUCTOSE - sugar contained in ripe fruits; the sweetest sugar.

c. GALACTOSE - milk sugar

2. DISACCHARIDE - consists of two molecules of sugar.
 If two monosaccharides bond together, they form a carbohydrate called a
disaccharide.

a. SUCROSE (GLUCOSE + FRUCTOSE) - table sugar

b. LACTOSE (GLUCOSE + GALACTOSE) - sugar contained in milk
c. MALTOSE (GLUCOSE + GLUCOSE) - found in common root crops
such as ?

3. POLYSACCHARIDE - composed of series of sugar.

 A polysaccharide is a complex carbohydrate that forms when simple sugars bind
together in a chain. Polysaccharides may contain just a few simple sugars or
thousands of them.
 Complex carbohydrates have two main functions: storing energy and forming
structures of living things.

a. GLYCOGEN - the animal fat formed from stored glucose especially in

muscles and fever.
 Function: Used by animals to store energy.
 Example: A human stores glycogen in liver cells. ?

b. CELLULOSE - a tough fibrous material which holds plant structures

together; found in plant cell wall.
 Function: Used by plants to form rigid walls around cells.
 Example: Plants use cellulose for their cell walls.

c. CHITIN - found in outer covering of animals such as insects and

crustaceans.
 Function: Used by some animals to form an external skeleton.
 Example: A housefly uses chitin for its exoskeleton.