Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates contain only the elements carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. The group includes
monomers, dimers and polymers, as shown in this diagram:
Carbohydrates

Sugars

Monosaccharides Disaccharides Polysaccharides

(monomers) (dimers) (polymers)
e.g. glucose, fructose, e.g. sucrose, e.g. starch,
galactose maltose, lactose cellulose, glycogen

Monosaccharides
These all have the formula (CH2 O)n, where n can be 3-7. The most common and important mono-
saccharide is glucose, which is a six-carbon or hexose sugar, so has the formula C6H12 O6. Its struc-
ture is:
OH
H C H
O
C O
H H H or more simply
C C HO OH
HO OH H OH
C C Glucose
H OH
Glucose forms a six-sided ring, although in three-dimensions it forms a structure that looks a bit
like a chair. In animals glucose is the main transport sugar in the blood, and its concentration in
the blood is carefully controlled. There are many isomers of glucose, with the same chemical for-
mula (C6 H12 O6 ), but different structural formulae. These isomers include galactose and fructose:

O
O
HO OH
HO

Galactose Fructose

Common five-carbon, or pentose sugars (where n = 5, C5 H10 O5 ) include ribose and deoxyribose
(found in nucleic acids and ATP, see unit 2) and ribulose (which occurs in photosynthesis). Three-
carbon, or triose sugars (where n = 3, C3 H6 O3 ) are also found in respiration and photosynthesis
.