Pharmacy Study Material

Free pharmacy material Composition and Metabolism of Carbohydrates INTRODUCTION to carbohydrates A carbohydrate is an organic compound with the general formula Cn(H 2 O)n, that is, consists of only carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, with hydrogen being twice of carbon and oxygen atom ratio. Carbohydrates can be viewed as hydrates of carbon, hence they are known as carbohydrates. Structurally, however, it is more accurate to view them as polyhydroxyaldehydes and ketones. Carbohydrates are not essential nutrients in humans: the body can obtain all its energy from protein and fats. The brain and neurons generally cannot burn fat for energy, but can use glucose or ketones; the body can also synthesize some glucose from a few of the amino acids in protein and also from the glycerol backbone in triglycerides. Carbohydrate contains 15.8 kilojoules (3.75 kilocalories) and proteins 16.8 kilojoules (4 kilocalories) per gram, while fats contain 37.8 kilojoules (9 kilocalories) per gram. In the...