Saccharide
What is Saccharide?
Saccharides are the chemical name for carbohydrates — compounds of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen with the general empirical formula (CH₂O)n, including monosaccharides (simple sugars such as glucose and fructose), disaccharides (sucrose, lactose), oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides (starch, cellulose, glycogen). They serve as the primary energy source in living organisms, as structural materials (cellulose in plant cell walls, chitin in insect exoskeletons), and as informational molecules in cell signaling. The name derives from the Greek sakkharon, meaning sugar.
Key Facts
Frequently Asked Questions
Saccharides are the chemical name for carbohydrates — compounds of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen with the general empirical formula (CH₂O)n, including monosaccharides (simple sugars such as glucose and fructose), disaccharides (sucrose, lactose), oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides (starch, cellulose, glycogen). They serve as the primary energy source in living organisms, as structural materials (cellulose in plant cell walls, chitin in insect exoskeletons), and as informational molecules in cell signaling. The name derives from the Greek sakkharon, meaning sugar.