CARBOHYDRATES

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 KETONES (OR) POLYHYDROXY ALDEHYDES

A Carbohydrate is composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in the ratio of 1:2:1 (CH2O)n. They are of three types namely monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides

MONOSACCHARIDES

These are the simplest form of carbohydrates being comprised of a single organic molecule. Depending on the number of carbon atoms they are classified into trioses, tetroses, pentoses, and hexoses

The trioses are common intermediary products in the carbohydrate metabolic process. They play an important role in the interconversion of biomolecules. Pentoses like ribose and deoxyribose are the integral components of RNA and DNA molecules. The Hexoses such as glucose, fructose, and galactose are food components commonly consumed.

Carbohydrates are commonly employed by cells for providing energy. The energy metabolism happens through glycolytic processes involving oxidative, citric acid cycle. The energy liberated is stored in the form of ATPs (Adenosine triphosphate)

Each gram of carbohydrate is capable of yielding an energy equivalent of 4.1 cal


DISACCHARIDES

These are the carbohydrates formed by the condensation of two monosaccharide monomers. These are found in common food substances such as milk and sugar. There are three common disaccharides namely maltose, sucrose, and lactose

Maltose - glucose + glucose

Sucrose - glucose + fructose

lactose - glucose + galactose


POLYSACCHARIDES

These are complex carbohydrates formed by the polymerization of a large number of monosaccharides. Nature abundantly produces various types of polysaccharides. Several of them are structural components in the living world eg. chitin, cellulose. Starch molecules serve as storage food materials trapping an enormous amount of energy. In food grains, starch is available as pectin and amylopectin molecules. Glycogen, a polysaccharide is found  in liver muscles

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