Carbohydrates: General Idea

Carbohydrates: General Idea

• Biomolecules are naturally occurring molecules in living organisms
• All life forms are composed of biomolecules
• Biomolecules include macromolecules like carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids
• Biomolecules also include smaller molecules like metabolites and natural products
• Biomolecules consist mainly of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, and phosphorus
• Biomolecules are large molecules with covalently bonded atoms

Carbohydrate, General Idea

• Carbohydrates are the most abundant organic molecules in nature

• Carbohydrates are defined as polyhydroxy aldehydes or ketones and their derivatives

• Many carbohydrates have the empirical formula (CH₂O)ₙ

• This formula originally suggested a "hydrate of carbon" relationship

• The hydrogen and oxygen atoms in carbohydrates are often in a 2:1 ratio, like in water (H₂O)

• Many other substances (e.g., acetic and lactic acid) also contain hydrogen and oxygen in the 2:1 ratio but are not carbohydrates

• Some carbohydrates, like Rhamnose (C₆H₁₂O₅), do not have the 2:1 hydrogen to oxygen ratio

• Carbohydrates are actually or potentially (convertible) to hydroxyl aldehydes or ketones

• Most carbohydrates are polyhydroxy aldehydes or ketones

Ring Structure of Sugars

• (Image) Various ring structures of sugars are shown