BIG CARP APRIL 2026 RICHARD - Flipbook - Page 165
ANDY LITTLE
BAIT
STRUCTURE:
CARBOHYDRATES
Although they are p rese n t i n s ma l l a mo u n t s , t h e s m al l e s t
o f all the organic co nsti t ue n t s o f t he fo r mu l a C6 H2 0 6 ,
t h ere is a great variety o f n a t ura lly o c c u r ri n g t y p e s , f ro m
ve ry simple forms contai n i n g t hre e c a rb o n a to m s to ve ry
c o mplex forms containing th o u s a nd s o f c a rb o n a to m s . T h ey
a re of fundamental impo r t an c e to al l fo r m s o f l i fe an d a re
p roduced initially by plan t s , al ga e, an d s o m e b a c teri a by t h e
p rocess of photosynthesis . P ho to sy n t h es i s u s e s l i ght e n erg y
f rom sunlight to convert th e a t mo s p h e ri c ga s c a rb o n d i ox i d e
( C02) and water (H20 ) carb o hyd ra te . T h e g re e n p l a n t p i g me n t
c h lorophyll is needed to e f fe ct t h i s re ac t i o n . T h e e q u a t i o n fo r
t h is reaction is usually exp re ss e d a s : - 6 C0 2 + 6 H2 0 S U N L I G HT
& CHLOROPHYLL C6 H12 0 6 0 2 ( ox yg e n i s a wa s te p ro d u c t ).
The oxygen given off by th i s p ro c e ss i s how a q u a t i c p l a n t s
ox ygenate the water. (We are al s o d ep e n d e nt o n p l a n t s fo r o u r
own oxygen supply). Muc h o f t he c a rb o hyd ra te p ro d u c e d i s
u s ed to supply energy for s u r v iva l, g row th a n d re p ro d u c t i o n
FR E ELINE 43
