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How are the structures of Carbohydrates related to their function?
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Amy Bowring How are the structures of Carbohydrates related to their function? Carbohydrates are named for their content of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. The ratio of hydrogen to oxygen is, with a few exceptions, is two hydrogen atoms for every one oxygen atom, as in water, giving the formula CH2O. Carbohydrates are the most abundant biomolecules and include sugars, starch, cellulose, glucose and glycogen. Carbohydrates are found in one of three forms, monosaccharides, disaccharides (both sugars) and polysaccharides. Monosaccharides are the smallest and simplest of the carbohydrate and the word means literally 'single sugar'. They have a general formula of (CH2O)n where n is a number between 3 and 9. They are classified according to the number of carbon atoms. If the number of Carbon atoms is 3 then it is called a triose. If Carbon = 4, a tetrose, if Carbon = 5, a pentose and if Carbon = 6 then...
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