1.2 Occurrences & Functions of Carbohydrates

• Plants

  • It is estimated that more than half of all organic carbon atoms are found in the carbohydrate materials of these.
• Carbohydrates

  • Most of the matter in plants, except water, is made of this material.
  • Account for 75% of dry plant material and are produced by photosynthesis.
• Photosynthesis

  • Process in which plants produce carbohydrates using carbon dioxide, water, and solar energy.

  
• Cellulose

  • Structural element of plants.
• Starch / Glycogen

  • Energy reservoir
• Functions of Carbohydrates in the Human Body:

  1. Carbohydrate oxidation provides energy.
  2. Carbohydrate storage, in the form of glycogen, provides a short-term energy reserve.
  3. Carbohydrates supply carbon atoms for the synthesis of other biochemical substances (proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids).
  4. Carbohydrates form part of the structural framework of DNA and RNA molecules.
  5. Carbohydrates linked to lipids are structural components of cell membranes.
  6. Carbohydrates linked to proteins function in a variety of cell–cell and cell–molecule recognition processes.