Carbohydrates

The compounds that are optically active, polyhydroxy aldehydes or ketones or which produce these units upon hydrolysis are called as carbohydrates. For example: glucose, fructose, rhamnose are carbohydrates.

Some of the carbohydrates are sweet in taste and are called as sugars. Most common sugar, cane sugar, is sucrose. The sugar found in milk is lactose. That’s why carbohydrates are also called as saccharides. (Greek: sakcharon means sugar).