Carbohydrates - Research Paper Example

Outline I. Chemical structure Carbon 2. Hydrogen 3. oxygen 4. d derived as they are hydrates of carbon, thus carbohydrates II. ificatoryNames1. Saccharides 2. Monosaccharides3. Disaccharidesa. Coupled with monosaccharides these carbohydrates are termed sugars 4. Oligosaccharides5. Polysaccharidesa. Stores energy 6. Simplea. sugars7. complexa. i.e. pasta, bread, cereals III. Characteristics of Carbohydrates1. Energy storagea. Predominant functions in humans 2. Plant cellulose a. Main structural element for plants 3.

Coenzymes 4. RNA a. Forms structural elementsIV. Nutritive Elements (Food Science)1. Dietary guidelinesa. 40-60% of diet (only 10% from simple carbohydrates)2. Non-essential nutrientsb. Nutrients essential for life can be obtained solely from fats and proteins Carbohydrates Carbohydrates are a type of general compound. They contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. The name carbohydrate is derived from their nature as hydrates of carbon, thus the combination. Carbohydrates are all also known as saccharides; furthermore, saccharides are divided into categories of monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides.

Monosaccharides and disaccharides, which are shorter, are generally known by the alternate name of sugars. Carbohydrates perform a variety of functions within the humans and animals that consume them. Polysaccharides function to store energy; in plants they operate as cellulose. A monosaccharide know as ribose is essential to coenzymes and also is one of the predominant structural elements in the genetic material that composes RNA. Informal contexts within nutrition research that reference carbohydrates often refer to their existence in foods such as pastas, bread, and cereals and often correlate their occurrences to foods that contain large amounts of starch.

When examining carbohydrates in terms of food science, they are divided into simple and complex carbohydrates. Dietary guidelines recommend that complex carbohydrates should be coupled with simple carbohydrates that contain a significant amount of nutrients – this includes fruits, such as apples and oranges. It is also recommended that individuals gain approximately 45-60% of their energy from carbohydrates food sources; only 10% of these sources should be derived from simple carbohydrates, that is sugars.

While carbohydrates are recommended for healthy living they are not termed essential nutrients. Indeed, it is possible for living organisms to obtain all the necessary nutritive elements for life from solely fats and proteins. Not all carbohydrates are readily digestible by humans, as some carbohydrates can only be digested with the aid of gut bacteria. ReferencesPotter, Norman. (1999). Food Science. Springer.