Biological Functions of Carbohydrates (Tertiary Level Biology)

The growth of interest in certain areas of carbohydrate biochemistry in recent years has made it opportune to draw together the ideas of carbohydrate functions and to present them within a framework of established knowledge. Two areas are particularly emphasised: firstly, the metabolic reactions of carbohydrates, and the functions of such reactions in the organism; secondly, the metabolism and functions of carbohydrate polymers. To illustrate these ideas, specific examples have been chosen from a number of different animals, plants, and micro-organisms.