Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates

This section provides an overview of carbohydrates, including their composition and classification into monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides.

Carbohydrate Composition

• Carbohydrates are biomolecules composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms in the ratio of 1:2:1. The formula CH2O represents the proportion of these elements within carbohydrate molecules.

Monosaccharides

• Monosaccharides are the building blocks or monomers of all carbohydrates. They are characterized by being made up of a single unit of sugar. Common monosaccharides include glucose, fructose, and galactose.

• Glucose is the most abundant monosaccharide and serves as an important energy source for cellular respiration and ATP production.

• Fructose is primarily found in fruits and plants, while galactose is found in milk. Both are six-carbon sugars with the chemical formula C6H12O6.

Disaccharides

• Disaccharides are formed when two monosaccharides join together through dehydration reactions to form glycosidic linkages. Common disaccharides include maltose (two glucose molecules), sucrose (glucose + fructose), and lactose (glucose + galactose).

Polysaccharides

• Polysaccharides are formed when multiple glucose monomers link together to form long chains. These chains can be straight or branched.

• Plants store energy in the form of amylose (straight chains) or amylopectin (branched). Animals store energy as glycogen, a highly branched polysaccharide.

• Other polysaccharides such as cellulose, chitin, and peptidoglycan serve as structural molecules in organisms. Cellulose is the most abundant polysaccharide and adds strength to plant cell walls. Chitin is found in animals and fungi, while peptidoglycans are found in bacterial cell walls.