1. Dietary components

Carbohydrates

• biomolecues only consisting of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms

• hydrogen : oxygen → 2:1

• Emperical formula C_m(H₂O)_n

• one of the most naturally abundant widespread organic substances

Carbohydrates split into

• Monosaccharides

• disaccharides

• oligosaccharides

• polysaccharides

Monosaccharides

simple sugars like fructose/ glucose/ glalactose

Disaccharide

double sugar like glucose + fructose → sucrose

oligosaccharide

consists of 3-6 monosaccharide units infrequently found in natural sources

polysaccharides

large molecules of as many as 10,000 monosaccharide units, like cellulose

Lipids

• any organic compound that does not interact appreciable with water

• includes:

  • fats

  • oils

  • hormones

  • certain components of cell membrane (cholesterol)

proteins

• large complex molecules

• constituded of amoni acids joined together to form long chains via peptide bonds

• 20 naturally occuring amino acids

• amino acid structure→ chiral carbon with NH₂/COOH/H/R group