Carbohydrates

• Monosaccharides are simple sugars that cannot be broken down into simpler units by hydrolysis.
• The main function of carbohydrates is to store energy, but they also have structural roles as well.
• Disaccharides are formed from two monosaccharide molecules joined together through glycosidic bonds, with the loss of one water molecule per bond.
• Polysaccharides consist of many monosaccharide units linked together to form long chains or branched structures.
• Carbohydrates can exist in different forms such as monomers (simple sugars) or polymers (complex carbohydrates).
• Sucrose (table sugar) is made up of glucose and fructose.
• Lactose (milk sugar) is made up of galactose and glucose.
• Maltose (malt sugar) is made up of two glucose molecules.
• Starch consists mainly of amylose and amylopectin, both made up of glucose units.
• Amylose has an unbranched structure, while amylopectin has branches every 24-30 glucose residues.
• Cellulose is an insoluble fiber found in plant cell walls and is composed of beta-glucose units.
• Carbohydrate polymers include starch (found in plants), cellulose (a major component of plant cell walls), chitin (the main constituent of insect exoskeletons), and glycogen (stored in animal cells).
• Glycogen is a highly branched polymer of glucose used by animals as a source of stored energy.
• Glycogen is the storage form of carbohydrate in animals and is similar to starch but with more branching points.
• Monosaccharides have one sugar unit, disaccharides have two sugar units, oligosaccharides have three to ten sugar units, and polysaccharides have many sugar units.