Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are any of a large group of compounds in which hydrogen and oxygen, in the proportions in which they exist in water, are combined with carbon. Carbohydrates as a class are the most abundant organic compounds found in nature. They are produced by green plants and by bacteria using the process known as photosynthesis, in which carbon dioxide is taken from the air by means of solar energy to yield the carbohydrates as well …

…humans; pectin, a jelling agent, gum Arabic and agar, used in the production of adhesive materials, sizing materials, and emulsions. Gum arabic is also used in many medicines. Agar, a part of some laxatives, is also used as a thickening agent in food and as a medium for bacterial culture. Hemicellulose is used to modify paper during its manufacture. The carbohydrate dextran is a polysaccharide used in medicine as a blood expander to counteract shock.