Carbohydrates and Polysaccharides

Carbohydrates

• Carbohydrates are compounds made of carbon and water.
• The atoms that make up carbohydrates are carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.
• Simple carbohydrates are also known as sugars, monosaccharides, or disaccharides.

Polysaccharides

Monosaccharides Formula

• Monosaccharides contain equal amounts of carbon and water.
• The general formula for monosaccharides can be written as Cx(H2O)_x.
• This also means that they have twice as many hydrogen atoms as they have oxygen or carbon atoms.
• The general formula can also be written as CxH{2x}O_x.
• Examples of possible formulas for monosaccharides include:
  • C6H{12}O_6
  • C7H{14}O_7
  • C3H6O_3