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Intro to Carbohydrates definitions

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  • Carbohydrate
    Molecule made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, rich in hydroxyl groups, and serves as a main energy source for living things.
  • Monosaccharide
    Simplest form of carbohydrate with the general formula CH2O, existing as straight chains or rings.
  • Hydroxyl Group
    Functional group consisting of an oxygen and hydrogen atom, commonly found attached to carbon atoms in sugars.
  • Aldose
    Sugar containing an aldehyde group, where a carbonyl is bonded to a hydrogen at the end of the molecule.
  • Ketose
    Sugar containing a ketone group, where a carbonyl is bonded to two carbons within the molecule.
  • Carbonyl Group
    Functional group featuring a carbon atom double-bonded to an oxygen, present in both aldehydes and ketones.
  • Generic Name
    Naming system for sugars based on functional group, number of carbons, and the suffix 'ose.'
  • Numerical Prefix
    Term used to indicate the number of carbon atoms in a monosaccharide, such as tri-, tetra-, pent-, hex-, or hept-.
  • Pentose
    Monosaccharide containing five carbon atoms, identified by the prefix 'pent.'
  • Ring Structure
    Cyclic form that monosaccharides can adopt, as opposed to a straight-chain arrangement.
  • Straight Chain
    Linear arrangement of atoms in a monosaccharide, as opposed to a cyclic form.
  • Functional Group
    Specific group of atoms within a molecule responsible for characteristic chemical reactions, such as aldehyde or ketone in sugars.
  • Suffix 'ose'
    Ending used in carbohydrate nomenclature to indicate a sugar molecule.
  • Primary Energy Source
    Role of monosaccharides in providing immediate fuel for metabolic processes in living organisms.