Carbohydrates are compounds of tremendous biological importance since they:
- provide energy through oxidation
- supply carbon for the synthesis of cell components
- serve as a form of stored chemical energy
- are the means by which cells recognise each other and are the basis of the immune system
Food macromolecules
The purpose of this animation is to show visually how glucose molecules can be assembled to form simple sugars and large macromolecular carbohydrates such as starch and cellulose.
To use this interactive, select any of the labelled boxes 1–5 to obtain more information.
Download the Word file (see below) to read this teacher resource, which provides information about carbohydrates. It follows on from the article about macronutrients, giving more detail about this important group of energy-rich food substances.
