Chemistry of Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are polyhydroxy aldehydes or ketones. They are primarily produced by plants and form a very large group of naturally occurring organic substances. Some common examples are cane sugar, glucose, starch, etc. They have general molecular formulas that make them appear to be hydrates of carbon, Cn(H2O)n, from where the name carbohydrate was derived. Carbohydrates are formed in the plants by photosynthesis from carbon dioxide and water in the presence of sunlight. Biochemistry is the study of the chemical substances found in living organisms and the chemical interactions of these substances with each other. It deals with the structure and function of cellular components, such as proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids, and other biomolecules.