Carbohydrates
"Carbohydrates are the most abundant organic molecules in nature. They are primarily composed of the elements carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. The name carbohydrate literally means ‘hydrates of carbon’. Some of the carbohydrates possess the empirical formula (C.H2O)n where n d 3, satisfying that these carbohydrates are in fact carbon hydrates. However, there are several non-carbohydrate compounds (e.g. acetic acid, C2H4O2; lactic acid, C3H6O3) which also appear as hydrates of carbon. Further, some of the genuine carbohydrates (e.g. rhamnohexose, C6H12O5; deoxyribose, C5H10O4) do not satisfy the general formula. Hence carbohydrates cannot be always considered as hydrates of carbon.
Carbohydrates may be defined as polyhydroxyaldehydes or ketones or compounds which produce them on hydrolysis. The term ‘sugar’ is applied to carbohydrates soluble in water and sweet to taste."
Download Files
- Chapters 16
- Department Zoology
- Teacher
Dr. Syed Gohar Taqi Kazimi
