1. Monosaccharides (simple sugars):
* Glucose: Found in fruits, honey, and starchy foods.
* Fructose: Found in fruits and honey.
* Galactose: Found in milk and dairy products.
* Ribose: Found in RNA.
* Deoxyribose: Found in DNA.
2. Disaccharides: Formed by the combination of two monosaccharides:
* Sucrose (table sugar): Glucose + Fructose
* Lactose (milk sugar): Glucose + Galactose
* Maltose: Glucose + Glucose
3. Polysaccharides: Long chains of monosaccharides linked together:
* Starch: A storage polysaccharide in plants, composed of many glucose molecules.
* Glycogen: A storage polysaccharide in animals, composed of many glucose molecules.
* Cellulose: A structural polysaccharide in plants, providing strength and rigidity to cell walls.
* Chitin: A structural polysaccharide found in the exoskeletons of insects and crustaceans.
In addition to these, there are other, less common, carbohydrate molecules, such as:
* Oligosaccharides: Short chains of 3-10 monosaccharides, often found in plant cell walls and as part of glycoproteins and glycolipids.
Note: While carbohydrates are often referred to as sugars, not all sugars are carbohydrates (e.g., artificial sweeteners).
