Chapter 9: Carbohydrates
Carbohydrate is a group of organic compounds found in biological systems. As the most abundant class of bioorganic compounds, carbohydrates make up more than 50% of the dry weight of the Earth’s biomass. The formulas of many carbohydrates can be written as Cn(H2O)n, which makes them appear to be hydrates of carbon, which is also the origin of the name, although later structural studies indicate that these compounds are not hydrates. Nearly all carbohydrates taste sweet, such as sucrose (table sugar). Sugar is the common way people name small size carbohydrates in daily life. Aside from the sugars and starches that serve as a major source of metabolic energy, carbohydrates are also important structural materials (cellulose), recognition sites on cell surfaces, and one of three essential components of DNA and RNA.
