- Consists of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen
- Monosaccharides are the simple sugars and are the monomers of more complex carbohydrates. E.g. glucose.
- Disaccharides arises when two monosaccharides join together E.g. sucrose = fructose + glucose.
- Polysaccharides are the polymers made up of many monosaccharides. E.g. cellulose – made up of many glucose molecules.
- Glycosidic linkages is what holds the monosaccharides together in disaccharides and polysaccharides.
- Reaction that occurs between the monosaccharides to form glycosidic linkages = condensation reaction.
Main roles of carbohydrates:
- Energy – glucose
- Storage of energy – glycogen and starch
- Structural components – cellulose
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