Carbohydrates: Neutral and Minor Sugars

Abstract

This chapter covers carbohydrates, the most abundant class of biopolymers on Earth and significant components of water column particulate organic matter and dissolved organic matter in aquatic environments. Carbohydrates are important structural and storage molecules and are critical in the metabolism of terrestrial and aquatic organisms. Carbohydrates can be further divided into monosaccharides (simple sugars), disaccharides (two covalently linked monosaccharides), oligosaccharides (a few covalently linked monosaccharides), and polysaccharides (polymers made up of several mono- and disaccharide units). In phytoplankton, carbohydrates serve as important reservoirs of energy, structural support, and cellular signaling components. Carbohydrates make up approximately 20 to 40% of the cellular biomass in phytoplankton and 75% of the weight of vascular plants. Minor sugars, such as acidic sugars, amino sugars, and O-methyl sugars, tend to be more source-specific than major sugars and can potentially provide further information on the biogeochemical cycling of carbohydrates.