Carbohydrates are a class of energy-providing substances. These are chemical compounds that contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Carbohydrates are organic compounds that after digestion are converted into glucose and glucose is oxidized by oxygen to provide energy to the body.
A carbohydrate is a biomolecule containing carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) atoms, usually with a hydrogen-oxygen atom ratio of 2: 1 (in water) and thus with the empirical formula (H2O) it happens. n (where m may be different from n). This formula is true for monosaccharides.
Some exceptions exist; For example, deoxyribose, a sugar component of DNA, is the empirical formula C5H10O4. Carbohydrates are technically hydrates of carbon; Structurally it is more accurate to see them as aldoses and kitoses.
The term is most common in biochemistry, where it is a synonym for saccharide, a group consisting of sugars, starch, and cellulose. Saccharides are divided into four chemical groups: monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides. Monosaccharides and disaccharides, the smallest (low molecular weight) carbohydrates, are commonly referred to as sugars.
The word saccharide means "Chinese". While the scientific nomenclature of carbohydrates is complex, monosaccharides and disaccharides have names often ending in suffixes, as in monosaccharides fructose (fruit sugar) and glucose (starch sugar) and disaccharides sucrose (sugarcane or sugar beet). And lactose (milk sugar).
Carbohydrates play many roles in living organisms. Polysaccharides serve for storage in energy (such as starch and glycogen) and structural components (such as plants and chitins in arthropods). The 5-carbon monosaccharide is an important component of the backbone of the genetic molecule of ribose kinases (eg ATP, FAD and NAD) and JNA.
The corresponding deoxyribose is a component of DNA. Saccharides and their derivatives include many other important biomolecules that play an important role in the immune system, fertilization, preventing pathogenesis, blood clots and development.
Carbohydrates are central to nutrition and are found in a wide variety of natural and processed foods. Starch is a polysaccharide. It is abundant in processed food, such as bread, pizza, or pasta, based on grains (wheat, corn, rice), potatoes, and cereal flour.
Sugar appears mainly in the human diet as table sugar (extracted from sucrose, sugarcane or sugar beets), lactose (abundant in milk), glucose, and fructose, both of which are found in honey, many fruits, and some vegetables. Occur naturally. Table sugar, milk or honey are often added to drinks and many prepared foods such as jams, biscuits and cakes.
Cellulose, a polysaccharide found in all plant cell walls, is one of the main components of insoluble dietary fiber. Although it is not digestible, insoluble dietary fiber helps maintain a healthy digestive system by easing defecation.
Other polysaccharides contained in dietary fiber include resistant starch and inulin, which feed certain bacteria into the microbiota of the large intestine, and are metabolized by these bacteria to produce short-chain fatty acids.
Nutrition
Bread, pasta, beans, potatoes, bran, rice, and grains are carbohydrate-rich foods. Most carbohydrate-rich foods have high amounts of starch. Carbohydrate is the most common source of energy for most organisms, including humans.
We can get all our energy from fat and protein if we have to. One gram of carbohydrate contains about 4 kilocalories (kcal), which is equal to protein. One gram of fat contains about 9 kcal.
However, other important functions of carbohydrates are:
The brain needs carbohydrates, especially glucose, because neurons cannot burn fat.
Dietary fiber is made up of polysaccharides that our body does not digest.
Excess of carbohydrates increases body weight and increases the chances of getting diseases related to obesity. Due to lack of carbohydrates, the body weight is reduced, its ability to function and protein is used to generate energy in the body, which causes the liver and vascular institutions to relax.
Use #steemexclusive as one of your tags
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit