Definition of carbohydrate: a molecule that consists of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms, usually with a C:H:O ratio of 1:2:1.
A carbohydrate that contains 2 monosaccharide units it’s called a disaccharide; if 3 to 10 units it’s called a oligosaccharide; if more than 10 it’s called a polysaccharide.
monosaccharide
Monosaccharides (also simple sugars) are the simplest units of carbohydrates.
They are colorless, water-soluble and crystalline shaped solids.
Monosaccharides include:
- glucose
- fructose
- galactose
polysaccharide
A polysaccharide is a long-chain polymer composed of more than 10 monosaccharides.
Polysaccharides can have distinct properties from their monomers - they can be amorphous or insoluble in water.
Storage polysaccharides are common storage methods of energy. They can be broken down for converting into usable energy.
- starch
- glycogen
- galactogen
- inulin
Structural polysaccharides cannot be metabolized by most organisms. For example:
- cellulose
- chitin
- pectin