Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates

• Carbohydrate Definition: A polyhydroxyaldehyde, polyhydroxyketone, or a substance that yields these compounds upon hydrolysis.
• Monosaccharide Definition: A carbohydrate that cannot be hydrolyzed into simpler carbohydrates.
  • General formula: $C<em>nH</em>{2n}O_n$
  • Commonly contain 3 to 9 carbon atoms.
  • Aldose: A monosaccharide with an aldehyde group.
  • Ketose: A monosaccharide with a ketone group.

Classification of Monosaccharides

• Monosaccharides are classified based on the number of carbon atoms they contain.
• Examples:
  • Trioses (3 carbons)
  • Tetroses (4 carbons)
  • Pentoses (5 carbons)
  • Hexoses (6 carbons)
• The terms