Monosaccharides (simple sugars):
* Glucose: The most common sugar in the body, used for energy.
* Fructose: Found in fruits, honey, and high-fructose corn syrup.
* Galactose: Found in dairy products, often combined with glucose to form lactose.
Disaccharides (two sugars linked together):
* Sucrose: Table sugar, made of glucose and fructose.
* Lactose: Milk sugar, made of glucose and galactose.
* Maltose: Malt sugar, made of two glucose molecules.
Polysaccharides (many sugars linked together):
* Starch: A storage form of glucose in plants.
* Glycogen: A storage form of glucose in animals.
* Cellulose: A structural component of plant cell walls.
* Chitin: A structural component of the exoskeletons of insects and crustaceans.
Other examples:
* Dextrins: Smaller fragments of starch used as a food additive and in glues.
* Pectin: A complex carbohydrate found in fruits and vegetables, used as a gelling agent.
* Hyaluronic acid: Found in connective tissue, providing lubrication and cushioning.
This is just a small sampling of the many carbohydrate molecules present in nature. Each plays a vital role in biological processes, from providing energy to building structures.
