Overview_of_Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates

Organic compounds consisting of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, typically with hydrogen and oxygen in a 2:1 ratio.

Monosaccharide

The simplest form of carbohydrates; single sugar units such as glucose and fructose.

Oligosaccharide

Short chains of monosaccharides, typically containing 2 to 20 units.

Polysaccharide

Long chains of monosaccharides, typically containing more than 20 units, such as starch and cellulose.

Aldose

A type of sugar that contains an aldehyde group, characterized as a polyhydroxy aldehyde.

Ketose

A type of sugar that contains a ketone group, classified as a polyhydroxy ketone.

Chiral Carbon

A carbon atom attached to four different substituents, resulting in non-superimposable mirror images.

Glycogen

A storage form of glucose in animals, highly branched for rapid mobilization of energy.

Hydrolases

Enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of chemical bonds, essential for carbohydrate digestion.

Beta-glycosidic bond

A bond formed between monosaccharides where the hydroxyl (OH) group is above the plane of the sugar ring.

Reducing sugar

Sugars that can donate electrons to other molecules, often tested for in urine to detect conditions like diabetes.

Portal circulation

The pathway that carries blood from the gastrointestinal tract to the liver.

Lactose intolerance

A condition where individuals cannot adequately digest lactose due to insufficient levels of the enzyme lactase.

Gluconeogenesis

The synthesis of glucose from non-carbohydrate precursors, primarily in the liver.

Diabetes mellitus

A metabolic disorder characterized by high blood glucose levels due to inadequate insulin production or insulin action.

Insulin deficiency

A condition where the body does not produce enough insulin, affecting glucose metabolism.

Fischer projection

A two-dimensional representation of a molecule showing its configuration at chiral centers.

Disaccharides

Carbohydrates composed of two monosaccharides joined by a glycosidic bond, such as sucrose and lactose.

Hemiacetal

A compound containing both an alcohol and an ether functional group, formed from the reaction of an alcohol with an aldehyde.

N-acetyl

A functional group derived from acetic acid, important in metabolism and found in certain amino sugars.