Elementary plant Biochemistry and Biotechnology (2+1)

Classification

Carbohydrates are classified into three major groups:

• Monosaccharides
• Oligosaccharides
• Polysaccharides


Classification of carbohydrates

Monosaccharides (Simple sugars)	Oligosaccharides	Polysaccharides (Glycans)
Low molecular weight carbohydrates and cannot be hydrolysed further	Contain 2-10 monosaccharides joined by glycosidic bonds. Low molecular weight carbohydrates which can be hydrolysed by enzymes or acids to yield monosaccharides	Contain many monosaccharides joined by glycosidic bonds. They can be hydrolysed by enzymes or acids.
Crystalline, soluble in water, and sweet in taste.	Powdery or crystalline, soluble in water and sweet in taste	Insoluble in water, tasteless, linear or branched
Classified into triose, tetrose, pentose, hexose and heptose depending upon the number of carbon atoms. They may be either aldoses or ketoses depending upon whether they contain a free aldehyde or ketone group, respectively	Classified into disaccharide, trisaccharide, tetrasaccharide and pentasaccharide depend­ing upon the number of monosaccharides they contain.	Classified into homoglycans and heteroglycans depending upon the kind of monosaccharides present. Depending upon the function, they are classified as storage and structural polysaccharides.
All monosaccharides are reducing in nature	Some of them are reducing and some of them are non reducing in nature.	Non reducing in nature and give deep blue (amylose) or red colour (amylopectin) with iodine.