Biological Chemistry - Berezov, T. T., Korovkin, B. F. 1998

Chemistry of Carbohydrates
Biological Role of Carbohydrates

Along with Proteins and Lipids, CARBOHYDRATES are essential chemical compounds found in living organisms. In humans and animals, carbohydrates perform vital Functions: energetic (serving as the primary cellular fuel), structural (acting as an indispensable component of most intracellular structures), and protective (where carbohydrate moieties of IMMUNOGLOBULINS contribute to immune defense).

Carbohydrates (such as ribose and deoxyribose) are utilized in the synthesis of Nucleic Acids and serve as key constituents of nucleotide Coenzymes, which play a crucial role in the METABOLISM of living organisms. Recently, carbohydrate-containing mixed Biopolymers—including glycopeptides and Glycoproteins, Glycolipids and lipopolysaccharides, and glycolipoproteins—have been drawing increasing attention. These substances perform complex and vital functions within the body.

A number of disorders are closely associated with impaired Carbohydrate Metabolism, such as Diabetes Mellitus, galactosemia, Glycogen Storage Diseases, and milk intolerance, among others.

It should be noted that in Human and Animal organisms, carbohydrates are present in smaller amounts (no more than 2% of dry body weight) compared to proteins and lipids. In contrast, due to Cellulose, carbohydrates account for up to 80% of the dry weight in plants; consequently, carbohydrates are more abundant in The Biosphere as a whole than all other Organic compounds combined.