Define carbohydrates? Class 12
Answers
Explanation:
A carbohydrate is a biomolecule consisting of carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) atoms. Usually, carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms are in a ratio of 1:2:1 hence, the empirical formula for (CH2O) n. Chemically, carbohydrates are polyhydroxy aldehydes (an aldehyde, is a functional group in which a carbon atom shares a double bond with an oxygen atom, a single bond with a hydrogen atom) or ketones (it is a functional group having carbonyl group =C=O bonded to two hydrocarbon groups). It can also be said that carbohydrates are the compounds that yield aldehydes or ketones upon hydrolysis...
Carbohydrates may be defined as optically active polyhdroxy aldehydes or ketones or the compounds which produce such units on hydrolysis are called carbohydrates.
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