which atoms are found in all carbohydrates?
![]() |
| Which atoms are found in all carbohydrates? |
The three elements that are found in all carbohydrates are carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. In fact, all life on Earth is based on those three elements.
Carbohydrates Atoms
All carbohydrates contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. These are the three atoms that make up all carbohydrates. Carbohydrates may also be classified by their molecular weight, which is determined by weighing their oxidation state in grams per mole of carbon (GPMC).
The simplest sugars have a GPMC value of 24 or less; this means that one molecule of sugar will react with three molecules of water to form glucose syrup or table sugar respectively.
Carbohydrates may also be classified by their structure, which depends on whether they have an open-chain or closed-chain configuration around each atom's position within a particular ring system.
Carbon
- Carbon is the most abundant element in the body, and it's also found in all organic molecules. This means that carbon is essential to life as we know it, it's used to build the structure of molecules like carbohydrates, fats and proteins. It's also responsible for keeping your cells alive by providing them with energy through respiration (the process where oxygen breaks down into carbon dioxide).
- Carbohydrates are made up of three types of sugars: glucose (also called dextrose), fructose or sucrose (both forms) and galactose (a type of sugar molecule containing only 2 carbons).
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is a non-metal, and its one atom contains one proton and one electron.
Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe; it makes up more than 90% of all matter as well as being present in every living thing on Earth. It's used to make water and hydrocarbons (such as methane).
Oxygen
Oxygen is a key component of carbohydrates. It’s a gas at room temperature, colorless and odorless, with no taste or smell.
Oxygen makes up about 20% of the air we breathe in our lungs, but only makes up 1% by weight (or volume) in food, it’s so light that it doesn’t affect its weight much at all; you would have to eat far more than 100 grams (about 3 ounces) before you could notice any difference between eating foods containing different amounts of oxygen.
Carbon, Hydrogen, And Oxygen
The carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms that make up carbohydrates are found in all of them. The only exception to this is protein. Protein is made up of amino acids which have nitrogen atoms instead of carbon (and thus do not contain a carbonyl group).
Takeaway:
Carbohydrates are the most abundant molecules in the world, making up 98% of all foods. They're made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms (C-H-O), which means they can be classified as organic compounds. Carbohydrates include sugars like glucose (sucrose) and fructose; starches like amaranth; fibers such as cellulose; and many other types of carbohydrates that fit into this category.
Conclusion
So, the short answer is that there are 18 atoms in all carbohydrates. These include carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. The most common ones are glucose (C6H12O6), fructose (C6H12O6) and galactose (C4H10O4).
