Definition of Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the biological molecules which are stated as polyhydroxy aldehydes or ketones. The carbohydrates are composed mainly of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen hence, they are also known as hydrocarbons. They are classified into three types depending upon their molecular weights i.e., monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides.

The monosaccharides have three to seven carbon atoms in their structure and they are known to be the monomers which give rise to the disaccharides and polysaccharides. The monomers are linked together with the help of a glycosidic bond. They perform various functions in the living systems like storage of energy, the formation of structures etc.

Example of Carbohydrates:

Ribose, glucose, lactose, starch etc., are the few carbohydrates. Ribose and glucose are monosaccharides and are composed of five and six carbon atoms respectively. Lactose is a disaccharide and it is made up of galactose and glucose whereas starch is a polysaccharide.