Carbohydrates Essay

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are generally sugars and their derivatives. Animals and humans break down carbohydrates during metabolism and release energy. E.g, chemical metabolism for sugar and glucose is

C6H12O6 + 6 O2  6 CO2 + 6 H2O + Energy

Animals and humans gains carbohydrates by eating foods that contain carbohyrates , e.g rice, potatoes,breads, etc. Carbohydrates are prepared by plants during photosynthesis. Plants gain energy from sunlight to carry on the reaction

6 CO2 + 6 H2O + energy (sunlight)  C6H12O6 + 6 O2

For example, a potato, contains glucose molecules manufactured by process of photosynthesis. In potato, these glucose molecules are bounded with each other in a long chain.

Carbohydrates are of two types , the simple sugars and the complex carbohydrates.

For example glucose, the most important for living organisms.

Metabolism

Each processes requires energy to begin. This term is basically associated with energy.

Metabolism is a sequence of chemical reactions which is used to produce one or more products. Our body gain most of its energy from Fats, then from carbohydrates and the least one from proteins.

Structure of Carbohydrates:

Now see the word carbohydrate Carbo referred from carbon and hydrate is derive from water Which simply means hydrates of carbon

Above is the example of carbohydrate ribose. If we observe the structure of saccharides we came to know that they have quite resemblance with aldehydes and ketones. That’s why we name some of them as aldose and ketose due to resemblance with aldehyde and ketones respectively.

In above example ribose is an aldehyde. Here carbonyl is on the terminal carbon.

Another examples.

Monosaccharides

They are simplest carbohydrates which cannot be further hydrolyzed. Generally they are aldehyde or ketones with two or more OH groups. The general formula for monosaccharides is (C•H2O)