![]() ![]() ![]() Many carbohydrates contain one or more modified monosaccharide units that have had one or more groups replaced or removed. Monosaccharides can be linked together in almost limitless ways. Despite the inexactness of the term, "carbohydrate" remains a useful descriptive name and with a little experience even a novice will soon become aware of what is, and is not, a carbohydrate. H 2O) n, where n is any number of three or greater however, many molecules with formulae that differ slightly from this are still called carbohydrates and other compounds that possess formulae that agree with this general rule may not be in fact carbohydrates (eg formaldehyde).The general stoichiometric formula of an unmodified monosaccharide is (C The basic carbohydrate units are called monosaccharides, such as glucose, galactose, and fructose. Additionally, carbohydrates and their derivatives play major roles in the working process of the immune system, fertilization, pathogenesis, blood clotting, and development. They fill numerous roles in living things, such as the storage and transport of energy ( starch, glycogen) and structural components ( cellulose in plants, chitin in animals). Carbohydrates are the most abundant of the four major classes of biomolecules, which also include proteins, lipids and nucleic acids. ![]() (October 2007)Ĭarbohydrates (from 'hydrates of carbon') or saccharides (Greek σάκχαρον meaning "sugar") are simple organic compounds that are aldehydes or ketones with many hydroxyl groups added, usually one on each carbon atom that is not part of the aldehyde or ketone functional group. All or part of this article may be confusing or unclear. ![]()
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