Lesson 5: Carbohydrates

🔶 What are Carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates are one of the most important types of nutrients. They are organic compounds (meaning they contain carbon) that are made by living things. These compounds provide energy to the body and play many roles in cells.

🧠 Word Meaning Tip:
The word “carbohydrate” comes from two parts:

• “Carbo” = carbon
• “Hydrate” = water
  So, you can think of a carbohydrate as “carbon + water”, or more scientifically, hydrated carbon.

🔆 How are Carbohydrates Made?

Carbohydrates are made by plants through a process called photosynthesis. This process takes place in green parts of plants, especially leaves.

Let’s break it down:

☀️ Sunlight energy + 🌬 Carbon dioxide (CO₂) + 💧 Water (H₂O) → 🍞 Carbohydrates + 🌬 Oxygen (O₂)

In this process, carbon dioxide is reduced (a chemical change where oxygen is removed), and the plant makes carbohydrates with a ratio of carbon:hydrogen:oxygen = 1:2:1. This is why we write its general formula as:

📘 Empirical Formula:

C(H₂O)ₙ
(“n” is the number of carbon atoms. For example, if n = 6, the formula becomes C₆H₁₂O₆ — which is glucose.)