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Carbohydrates - Types
Simple Carbohydrates (Monosaccharides) - These are used only for energy in
living organisms. The chemical formula for all of them is C6H12O6.
However, they are different in structure. Some examples of Monosaccharides are:
- glucose - found in fruits and honey
- fructose - also found in fruits and honey
- galactose - produced by the hydrolisis of lactose, which is found in milk
Compound Carbohydrates (Disaccharides) - These are used by living organisms for
energy. They are composed of two monosaccharides joined together by
the process known as dehydration synthesis. In this process, one molecule
loses one hydrogen atom, while the other loses one hydrogen atom and
one oxygen atom. They fill in the gap by joining with each other. The
reverse of this is hydrolysis, where water is added to break down a molecule
into two or more simpler molecules. Disaccharides have
the chemical equation C12H22O11. The reason it does not follow
the 1:2:1 ration is, obiously, due to the H2O taken way from it.
Some examples of disaccharides are:
- maltose - composed when two glucose molecules join together
- sucrose - composed when one glucose molecule joins a fructose molecule;
sucrose is commonly known as "table sugar"
- lactose - composed when one glucose molecule joins a
galactose molecule; also known as Milk sugar
Complex Carbohydrates (Polysaccharides) - Both monosaccharides and dicaccharides
are used only for energy. Polysaccharides differ in that
aspect. While animals still use it for energy, plants use it for
energy and structure. Another difference is that while monosaccharides can
be used for energy immediately, and disaccharides can be used for energy
fast, because they can be broken down quickly, polysaccharides are
used to store energy. These are the different polysaccharies:
- cellulose (Fibre) - cellulose is a special kind of carbohydrate; found only
in plants, and it's found in the cell wall; it helps
the plant keep a strong structure; humans can't digest fibre; it is an
important part of a healthy diet, because it helps
clean up the digestive tract.
- starch - starch is the energy storage molecule of plants; formed by chains of glucose.
- glycogen - glycogen is the energy storage molecule of animals; formed by
branched chains of glucose; humans store small ammounts of glycogen in
the liver and muscles; created when there are high blood sugar levels; the pancreas
secretes insulin, which stimulates the creation of gycogen from glucose
This article is courtesy of Wiki Books at
Wiki Books
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Note that the contents here are
not presented from a medical practitioner, and that any and
all health care planning should be made under the guidance of your
own medical and health practitioners. The content within only presents
an overview of the topics and
does not replace medical advice from a professional physician.
Where I have listed the nutritional contents of foods, that information is from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. 2005. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 18. Nutrient Data Laboratory Home Page.
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