Carbohydrate structure

Carbohydrates are molecules which consist of Carbon atoms, Oxygen atoms and Hydrogen atoms. Sometimes Nitrogen and Sulpur atoms can be present too. The empirical formula of carbohydrates is (CH2O)n. All carbohydrates consist of an aldehyde or ketone molecule with at least one hydroxyl group attached. Monosaccharides are the simplest carbohydrates, they are aldehydes or ketones with at least two hydroxyls attached.

Carbohydrates have many isomers due to them containing numerous chiral centres. Stereoismoers are isomers with the same atoms but with a different arrangement of atoms in space. Carboydrates can form D or L isomers, called enantiomers.