Carbohydrates Introduction

Introduction to Carbohydrates

• Carbohydrates are the most abundant organic molecules in nature.
• They have a wide range of functions, including providing energy, storing energy, building blocks for polysaccharides, and as components of other molecules.
• They also serve as a structural component of many organisms and play key roles in the immune system, development, fertilization, and blood clotting.

General Formula for Carbohydrates

• The empiric formula for many simpler carbohydrates is (CH2O)n, hence the name "hydrate of carbon".
• For example, glucose has a formula of C6H12O6, where n is equal to 6.
• Some carbohydrates contain nitrogen, phosphorus, or sulfur.

Classification and Structure of Carbohydrates

• Carbohydrates can be classified based on the number of carbohydrate units.
• Monosaccharides are the simplest carbohydrates, formed by one sugar unit, e.g. glucose, fructose, and galactose.
• Oligosaccharides are formed by short chains of monosaccharide units (from 2 to 10) linked by glycosidic bonds.
• Disaccharides are the most common sugars found in nature, e.g. sucrose, maltose, and lactose.
• Polysaccharides are polymers consisting of more than 10 monosaccharide units, e.g. starch.
• Monosaccharides have the general formula CnH2nOn with one of the carbons being the carbonyl group of either an aldehyde or a ketone.
• The suffix "-ose" indicates that a molecule is a carbohydrate.
• Each carbon atom bearing a hydroxyl group (-OH), with the exception of the first and last carbons, are asymmetric.