Carbohydrats
Objectives
- Define carbohydrates in chemical terms
- Classify carbohydrates in to three major groups with examples of each group
- List the monosaccharides of biological importance and learn their properties
- List the disaccharides of biological importance and learn their properties
- List the polysaccharides of biological importance and learn their properties
- Study the chemistry and functions of glycoproteins
Introduction
Carbohydrates are the most abundant macromolecules in nature. They are the main source and
storage of energy in the body. They serve also as structural component of cell membrane. The
general molecular formula of carbohydrate is CnH2nOn or (CH2O)n, where n > 3. Chemically, they
contain the elements Carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Thus they are Carbon compounds that
contain large quantities of Hydroxyl groups.
Carbohydrates in general are polyhydroxy aldehydes or ketones or compounds which give
these substances on hydrolysis.