Saccharide facts for kids

Saccharides are important molecules that you might know better as sugars or carbohydrates. They are a main source of energy for living things, including you! When you eat foods like bread, pasta, fruits, or candy, you are eating saccharides.

The word "saccharide" can sometimes mean a special kind of salt, like those found in the artificial sweetener called saccharin. Saccharin is a substance that tastes sweet but has no calories, so it's sometimes used instead of regular sugar. However, most of the time, when people say "saccharide," they are talking about the different types of sugars.

What Are Sugars?

Sugars are a type of carbohydrate, which are molecules made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms. They are found naturally in many foods and are essential for life. Our bodies break down sugars to get the energy we need to play, learn, and grow.

There are different kinds of saccharides, depending on how many basic sugar units they have. Think of it like building blocks!

Simple Sugars: Monosaccharides

The simplest kind of sugar is called a monosaccharide. "Mono" means one, so a monosaccharide is a single sugar unit. These are the basic building blocks for all other carbohydrates.

• Glucose: This is the most important monosaccharide. It's the main sugar your body uses for energy. Your brain especially needs glucose to work properly. You find glucose in fruits, vegetables, and honey.
• Fructose: Often called "fruit sugar," fructose is found in fruits, honey, and some vegetables. It's what makes many fruits taste sweet.
• Galactose: This monosaccharide is not usually found alone in nature. Instead, it's part of a bigger sugar found in milk.

Double Sugars: Disaccharides

When two monosaccharides join together, they form a disaccharide. "Di" means two, so it's like two sugar building blocks connected.

• Sucrose: This is common table sugar that you might use in your kitchen. It's made from one glucose unit and one fructose unit joined together. You find it in sugar cane and sugar beets.
• Lactose: This is the sugar found in milk and dairy products. It's made from one glucose unit and one galactose unit. Some people have trouble digesting lactose, which is called lactose intolerance.
• Maltose: Also known as "malt sugar," maltose is made from two glucose units. It's found in grains like barley and is used in brewing and some candies.

Complex Sugars: Polysaccharides

When many monosaccharides link up, they form a polysaccharide. "Poly" means many, so these are long chains of sugar units. Polysaccharides are often called complex carbohydrates.

• Starch: This is how plants store energy. Foods like potatoes, rice, corn, and bread are rich in starch. When you eat starch, your body breaks it down into glucose for energy.
• Glycogen: This is how animals (including humans!) store glucose for later use. Your muscles and liver store glycogen, which can be quickly turned back into glucose when you need a burst of energy.
• Cellulose: This is a major part of plant cell walls, giving plants their structure. It's found in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Humans can't digest cellulose, but it's important for our diet as fiber, which helps keep our digestive system healthy.

Why Are Saccharides Important?

Saccharides are vital for life because they are the primary source of energy for almost all living things.

• Energy: Our bodies break down saccharides into glucose, which is then used by our cells to power everything we do, from thinking to running.
• Storage: Our bodies can store extra glucose as glycogen for future energy needs. Plants store energy as starch.
• Structure: In plants, cellulose provides strong cell walls. In insects and fungi, another polysaccharide called chitin forms their tough outer coverings.

Eating a balanced diet with different types of saccharides, especially complex carbohydrates and natural sugars from fruits, helps keep your body healthy and full of energy!

Images for kids

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  D-glucose is a simple sugar with the formula (C·H2O)6. The red atoms show the aldehyde group, and the blue atoms show the asymmetric center.

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  Glucose can exist in both a straight-chain and a ring shape.

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  Sucrose, also known as table sugar, is a common double sugar. It is made of two simple sugars: D-glucose (left) and D-fructose (right).

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  Grain products are good sources of carbohydrates.

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  Glucose tablets

See also

In Spanish: Glúcido para niños