ABSTRACT
Carbohydrates are the most abundant of the groups of biomolecules, which also include proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. In plants, carbohydrates are formed as a result of photosynthesis. They play a pivotal role in organisms and systems in biology, physiology, and medicine, such as controlling the processes of the immune system, fertilization, pathogenesis, blood clotting, growth, and development. Carbohydrates serve as an energy source for metabolism and as a form of storage (e.g., starch in plants, glycogen in animals and humans), and they provide structural components for stabilization (e.g., cellulose in plants, chitin in animals).
