Principles of Biochemistry (2+1)

3.2.1 Structure of Carbohydrates

The name carbohydrate owes its origin to the fact that most substances of this class have empirical formulas suggesting they are carbon ”hydrates” in which the ratio of carbon to hydrogen to oxygen atoms is 1:2:1.

For example, the empirical formula is of D-glucose is C₆H₁₂O₆.

This also can be written as (CH₂O)₆ or C₆(H₂O)₆. Many carbohydrates conform to the empirical formula (CH₂O)n  while  others do not show this ratio.