What Are Carbohydrates and Why Do You Need Them? Flashcards
Glucose
The most abundant sugar in foods and the primary energy source for your body
Photosynthesis
A process by which green plants create carbohydrates using the energy from sunlight
Chlorophyll
The green pigment in plants that absorbs energy from sunlight to begin the process of photosynthesis
Simple Carbohydrate
A category of carbohydrates that contains a single sugar unit or two sugar units combined. Monosaccharides and disaccharides are simple carbohydrates.
Monosaccharide
One sugar unit.
What are the three monosaccarides?
- Glucose
- Fructose
- Galactose
Disaccharide
Two sugar units combined
What are the three disaccharides?
- Sucrose
- Lactose
- Maltose
Complex carbohydrates
A category of carbohydrates that contains many sugar units combined. A polysaccharide is a complex carbohydrate
Polysaccharide
Many sugar units combined.
What are examples of a polysaccharide?
- Starch
- Glycogen
- Fiber
Fructose
The sweetest of the monosaccharides; also known as fruit sugar.
Galactose
A monosaccharide that links with glucose to create the sugar found in dairy producst
Sucrose
A disaccharide composed of glucose and fructose; also known as table sugar
Maltose
A disaccharide composed of two glucose units joined together
