carbohydrate

American  

[kahr-boh-hahy-dreyt, -buh-] / ˌkɑr boʊˈhaɪ dreɪt, -bə- /

noun

1. any of a class of organic compounds that are polyhydroxy aldehydes or polyhydroxy ketones, or change to such substances on simple chemical transformations, as hydrolysis, oxidation, or reduction, and that form the supporting tissues of plants and are important food for animals and people.

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carbohydrate British  

/ ˌkɑːbəʊˈhaɪdreɪt /

noun

1. Informal term: carb.  any of a large group of organic compounds, including sugars, such as sucrose, and polysaccharides, such as cellulose, glycogen, and starch, that contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, with the general formula C m (H 2 O) n: an important source of food and energy for animals

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carbohydrate Scientific  

/ kär′bō-hī′drāt′ /

1. Any of a large class of organic compounds consisting of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, usually with twice as many hydrogen atoms as carbon or oxygen atoms. Carbohydrates are produced in green plants by photosynthesis and serve as a major energy source in animal diets. Sugars, starches, and cellulose are all carbohydrates.

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Usage

What is a carbohydrate? A carbohydrate is an organic compound that is made of hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen. Most carbohydrates have twice as much hydrogen as oxygen and carbon.In chemistry, a compound is a pure substance of two or more elements stuck together. An organic compound is a compound that contains hydrogen and carbon (hydrocarbons).Carbohydrates are extremely important to life and neither plants nor animals would be able to survive without them. Fortunately, carbohydrates are abundant in nature.Both the cell walls of plants and the tissues of animals are made partly out of carbohydrates. Additionally, both plants and animals use carbohydrates to produce and store energy. Without carbohydrates, neither plant nor animal cells could function and both would quickly die.Carbohydrates come from green plants as a product of the process known as photosynthesis in which plants combine carbon dioxide and water. Typically, animals get their carbohydrates by eating the plants, eating the fruits and vegetables of the plant, or eating other animals.It is very common in nutritional discussions to shorten carbohydrates to carbs.

Other Word Forms

• noncarbohydrate noun

Etymology

Origin of carbohydrate

First recorded in 1865–70; carbo- + hydrate

Example Sentences

In this study, scientists used mice to explore how the diet affects metabolism over time, with results pointing to potentially harmful changes in how the body handles fats and carbohydrates.

From Science Daily

New research suggests that both the amount and the type of carbohydrates people eat may strongly influence their risk of developing dementia.

From Science Daily

Crops grown in nutrient-poor soil tend to encourage locust outbreaks because those plants contain high levels of carbohydrates and very little protein.

From Science Daily

Three newly identified compounds were found to strongly inhibit α-glucosidase, an enzyme that plays a central role in breaking down carbohydrates during digestion.

From Science Daily

It’s a decades-in-the-making response to the low-fat movement, which indirectly prioritized carbohydrates in favor of lowering intake of saturated fats and their related risk of high cholesterol and heart disease.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• cellulose
• glucose
• lactose
• starch
• sugar