what are carbohydrates

★★★CARBOHYDRATES★★★

 MEANS OF;

★THE WORD CARBOHYDRATES LITERALLY MEANS ' HYDRATED CARBON '.

COMPOSED OF;

★THEY ARE COMPOSED OF CARBON, HYDROGEN AND OXYGEN AND THE RATIO OF

   OXYGEN AND HYDROGEN IS THE SAME AS IN WATER.

GENERAL FORMULA;

★THEIR GENERAL FORMULA IS Cx(H2O)y WHERE (x) IS THE WHOLE NUMBER FROM

   THREE TO MANY THOUSANDS WHEREAS y MAY BE THE SAME OR DIFFERENT WHOLE

   NUMBER.

CHEMICALLY;

★CHEMICALLY CARBOHYDRATES ARE DEFINED AS POLYHYDROXY ALDEHYDES OR 

KETONES, OR COMPLEX SUBSTANCES WHICH ON HYDROLYSIS YIELD POLYHYDROXY

ALDEHYDE OR KETONE SUB-UNITS.

WHAT IS HYDROLYSIS?

★HYDROLYSIS INVOLVES THE BREAK DOWN OF LARGE MOLECULES INTO SMALLER

   ONES UTILIZING WATER MOLECULES.

SOURCE OF CARBOHYDRATES;

★THE SOURCE OF CARBOHYDRATES ARE GREEN PLANTS. THESE ARE THE PRIMARY 

    PRODUCTS PHOTOSYNTHESIS. OTHER COMPOUNDS OF PLANTS ARE PRODUCED       

    FROM CARBOHYDRATES BY VARIOUS CHEMICAL CHANGES.

★HUMANS GET CARBOHYDRATES FROM THE FOODS LIKE BREAD, PASTAS BEANS,

    BRAN, POTATOES, RICE AND CEREALS.

SOURCE OF ENERGY;

★CARBOHYDRATES ARE THE BASIC SOURCE OF ENERGY FOR ALL ANIMALS. ABOUT

   HALF TO 2/3 OF THE TOTAL CALORIES EVERY ANIMAL CONSUMES DAILY ARE FROM

  CARBOHYDRATES. 

GLUCOSE;

★GLUCOSE IS THE MOST OFTEN USED CARBOHYDRATE FOR ENERGY.

FOUND IN;

 ★CARBOHYDRATES OCCUR ABUNDANTLY IN LIVING ORGANISMS

 EXAMPLES;

★THEY FOUND IN ALL ORGANISMS AND IN ALMOST ALL PARTS OF THE CELL

  CELLULOSE OF WOOD, COTTON AND PAPER, STARCHES PRESENT IN CEREALS, 

 

  ROOT TUBERS, CANE SUGAR AND MILK SUGAR ARE ALL EXAMPLES OF  

  CARBOHYDRATES.

 ROLE OF CARBOHYDRATES;

★CARBOHYDRATES PLAY BOTH STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL ROLES. SIMPLE

   CARBOHYDRATES ARE THE MAIN SOURCE OF ENERGY IN CELLS. SOME

  MAJOR CONSTITUENT OF CELL WALL;

★CARBOHYDRATES ARE THE MAIN CONSTITUENTS OF CELL WALLS IN PLANTS AND

   MICRO-ORGANISMS.  

FORMATION OF CONJUGATED MOLECULES;

★CARBOHYDRATES IN CELL COMBINE WITH PROTEINS AND LIPIDS AND THE

  RESULTANT COMPOUNDS ARE CALLED GLYCOPROTEINS AND GLYCOLIPIDS,

  RESPECTIVELY. GLYCOPROTEINS AND GLYCOLIPIDS HAVE STRUCTURAL ROLE 

  IN THE EXTRACELLULAR MATRIX OF ANIMALS AND BACTERIAL CELL WALL.

  BOTH THESE CONJUGATED MOLECULES ARE COMPONENTS OF BIOLOGICAL

  MEMBRANE.