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 as all the other chemicals needed by the organisms to survive and grow. …
