Carbohydrate chemistry is a subdiscipline of chemistry primarily concerned with the detection, synthesis, structure, and function of carbohydrates.^[1] Due to the general structure of carbohydrates, their synthesis is often preoccupied with the selective formation of glycosidic linkages and the selective reaction of hydroxyl groups; as a result, it relies heavily on the use of protecting groups.

Monosaccharides

Individual saccharide residues are termed monosaccharides.

Carbohydrate synthesis

Carbohydrate synthesis is a sub-field of organic chemistry concerned specifically with the generation of natural and unnatural carbohydrate structures. This can include the synthesis of monosaccharide residues or structures containing more than one monosaccharide, known as oligosaccharides.

Glycosidic bond formation

• Chemical glycosylation
• Fischer glycosidation
• Glycosyl halide
• Koenigs-Knorr reaction

Protecting groups

• Carbohydrate acetalisation
• Trimethylsilyl
• Benzyl Ether
• para-methoxybenzyl ether

Oligosaccharides

Reactions of carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are reactants in many organic reactions. For example:

• Cyanohydrin reaction
• Lobry-de Bruyn-van Ekenstein transformation
• Amadori rearrangement
• Wohl degradation
• Tipson-Cohen reaction
• Ferrier rearrangement
• Ferrier II reaction

Functions of carbohydrates

Carbohydrates have four major functions within the body:

1. Energy supply, particularly for the brain in the form of glucose
2. Avoiding the breakdown of amino acids for energy
3. Avoiding ketosis from the breakdown of fatty acids
4. Cellular and protein recognition

Energy supply, particularly for the brain in the form of glucose

Avoiding the breakdown of amino acids for energy

Avoiding ketosis from the breakdown of fatty acids

Cellular and protein recognition

Glycoprotein hormones may be removed by the liver from the bloodstream when the passage of time causes the breaking-off of carbohydrates from the glycoproteins.^{[citation needed]}