(N/A) Carbohydrates are essential for life in both plants and animals. They form a major portion of our food. Honey has been used for a long time as an instant source of energy in the Ayurvedic system of medicine.
Carbohydrates are used as storage molecules,such as starch in plants and glycogen in animals. The cell wall of bacteria and plants is made of cellulose. We use cellulose in the form of wood for furniture and in the form of cotton fiber for clothing.
Carbohydrates provide raw materials for many important industries like textiles,paper,lacquers,and breweries.
Two aldo-pentoses,$D$-ribose and $2$-deoxy-$D$-ribose,are present in nucleic acids. Carbohydrates are also found in biological systems in combination with many proteins and lipids.