Understanding Carbohydrates and Lipids: Structure, Properties, and Classification
Classified in Chemistry
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Understanding Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are biomolecules primarily composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Their atoms are linked to alcohol groups (hydroxyl groups, -OH) and hydrogen atoms (-H). All carbohydrates contain a carbonyl group (C=O), which can be either an aldehyde group (-CHO) or a ketone group (-CO). Therefore, they can be defined as polyhydroxyaldehydes or polyhydroxyketones.
Classification of Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are classified into several groups:
- Monosaccharides: Simple sugars made of single units.
- Oligosaccharides: Contain between 2 and 10 monosaccharide units.
- Polysaccharides: Formed by multiple repeating units of monosaccharides, further divided into:
- Homopolysaccharides: Formed by the repetition of a single monomer.