BIOL 2040 Lecture Notes - Lecture 18: Monosaccharide, Chitin, Galactose
28 Jan 2017
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Document Summary
Carbohydrates are organic compounds that are organized as ring structures and are always composed of the elements carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Carbohydrates are truly hydrates of carbon because the ratio of hydrogen atoms to oxygen atoms is always nearly 2:1, as in h2o. Most of the energy you receive comes from the carbohydrates that you eat. Carbohydrates are normally consumed by animals either by eating the plant that manufactured. Plants make carbohydrates such as wheat, corn, and potatoes. it or by eating other animals. Humans also receive carbohydrates from whole grains, fruits, vegetables, milk, candy, soft drinks, and pasta. Insects manufacture the carbohydrate chitin as a tough exoskeleton for protection, and lobsters and crabs use chitin for their shells. Finally, cellulose is probably the most widely used carbohydrate compound, comprising wood and wood products, such as paper. The simplest biologically important carbohydrates are monosaccharides, meaning one sugar (mono = one, saccharide = sugar).
