In this essay I am going to explore the functions of carbohydrates within the body and plants. It will give me a chance to explain and understand fully the role of carbohydrates and, how the structure of a carbohydrate can help the structure of a cell

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Gurdeep Ubee     0213977

Kenneth Bruce

Functions of Carbohydrates within the body.

In this essay I am going to explore the functions of carbohydrates within the body and plants.  It will give me a chance to explain and understand fully the role of carbohydrates and, how the structure of a carbohydrate can help the structure of a cell; whether it maybe a plant or an animal cell.  For example, ggreen plants use the energy of sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water into carbohydrates. This process, called photosynthesis.

Carbohydrates have a variety of different functions; they are vital as a source of the body’s energy.   I will look in more detail of this later.  There is an endless amount of possibilities of all the carbohydrates that are found in nature, so it will not be possible to mention them all. I therefore intend to concentrate on the main carbohydrates, which are frequently used in nature.

Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen are the main organic compounds, which compromise or rather forms the make up of a carbohydrate.  These can be either in the form of aldehydes or ketones.  Carbohydrates  have a main general formula of Cx(H20)y.  Carbohydrates are divided into three main groups, known as monosaccharides, disaccharides,and polysaccharides.

The functions of carbohydrates in natures are variable, however serve a main purpose in the function of storage and liberation of energy; in both animals and plants.  They also play a vital role in many of the molecules involved in many biochemical reactions, such as being constituents of nucleic acids.  They also provide an “excellent source for the many different activities going on in our cells”.  Not only are carbohydrates an excellent source of energy, they also allow cells to communicate with on another, and also bind together with the surroundings of the cell.

Carbohydrates are divided into three groups, which are commonly known as “monosaccharides”(single sugars), “disaccharide’s” (double sugars), and “polysaccharides” (many sugars).  Oligiosacchaides, are when only few monosacchardies units are linked together, they are still however very important.  These are attached to the cell surfaces.  

Monosaccharides are soluble crystalline molecules, and are normally ‘sweet’ in taste. Monosaccharides dissolve easily in water to form sweet sugary solutions.  “The two major classes of monoasaccharides are aldoses and ketoses”.  Molecules of monosaccharides also only contain between three to nine carbon atoms. The main common ones, which are found, are the ones, which contain three, five, or three carbon atoms.  Trioses, pentoses and hexoses. Named examples of these are glucose and fructose, they are both isomers of C6H12O6.  Glucose and fructose are both respiratory substrates, in both plants and animals.

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Monosaccharides have two major functions.  As mentioned above, they are used as a source of energy in respiration.  This is because of the large amount of carbon and hydrogen bonds, which releases high amounts of energy.  This energy is then transported to make ATP (adenosine triose phosphate),from ADP (adenosine diphosphate) and phosphate.  Glucose is the major monosaccharide involved in energy metabolism.

The other important role that monosaccharides play in living organisms, is that they act as building blocks for larger molecules.  Like glucose is used to make starch, glycogen and cellulose, which are all polysaccharides.  Pentose sugars are ...

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