Biochemistry is the study of chemical processes that happen inside living organisms.
Carbohydrates are a class of essential biomolecules found in living organisms, and they serve as one of the main sources of energy for the body.
Chemically, carbohydrates are composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms, with a general formula of (CH2O)n, where “n” represents the number of repeating units.
It contains a carbonyl group (C=O) at the end of a carbon chain, as seen in aldehydes like formaldehyde (HCHO).
They contain aldehyde group (___ CHO) with alcohol (___ OH).
They contain ketonic group (___ CO ___) with alcohol (___ OH).
Carbohydrates can be classified into three main groups based on the number of sugar units they contain:
Monosaccharides, also known as simple sugars, are a type of carbohydrate that cannot be further broken down through hydrolysis.
They consist of 3 to 10 carbon atoms and can be classified into different groups such as trioses, tetroses, pentoses, and hexoses, depending on the number of carbon atoms they contain.
Monosaccharide + water → No reaction
C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6 H₂O → 6 CO₂ + 12 H₂O
Oligosaccharides are a type of carbohydrate composed of a small number of monosaccharide units (typically 3 to 10) linked together through glycosidic bonds. They are intermediate in size between simple sugars (monosaccharides) and complex carbohydrates (polysaccharides).
Oligosaccharides + water → 2-10 monosaccharides
C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁ + H₂O → 2 C₆H₁₂O₆
“The two monosaccharides are joined together by an oxide linkage formed by the loss of a water molecule. Such a linkage between two monosaccharide units through an oxygen atom is called glycosidic linkage.”
Polysaccharides are complex carbohydrates composed of multiple monosaccharide units linked together in long chains.
They serve as storage forms of energy in plants and animals and often have structural roles. Common examples of polysaccharides include starch (energy storage in plants), glycogen (energy storage in animals), and cellulose (structural component in plant cell walls).
Polysaccharides + water → More than 10 monosaccharides
(C₆H₁₂O₅)n + H₂O → n(C₆H₁₂H₆)