CORE AREA 1 FOOD STUDIES Classification of carbohydrates
All carbohydrates are based on simple sugar units. Carbohydrates are classified into three main groups: monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides. Monosaccharides Structure
Chemical formula
A simple sugar that contains one single sugar unit. It is the smallest unit of a carbohydrate.
HL Chemical structure C6 H12 O6
Examples Sources Glucose
Fruit
Fructose Galactose
Fruit and honey Digested milk
Disaccharides Structure
Formed when two monosaccharides join, resulting in the the loss of a water (H2
Chemical formula
0) molecule (condensation reaction) HL Chemical structure C12 H22 O11