Derivatives of Primary Metabolic Sugars

D 1 Derivatives of Primary Metabolic Sugars Table 20. Di- and oligosaccharides... 

The interest attaching to the [carbohydrates] may be said to centre around glucose, this carbohydrate being the first to arise in the plant and the unit group from which substances such as cane sugar, maltose, starch and cellulose are derived it is also of primary importance in animal metabolism, as the main bulk of the carbohydrate in our food materials enters the circulation in the form of glucose. ... 

The biochemical processes referred to as metabolism can be divided into primary and secondary metabolism. All organisms possess similar metabolic pathways by which they synthesise and utilise certain essential chemicals, e.g. sugars, amino acids, nucleotides, fatty acids, and the polymers derived from them. These molecules, which are essential for the metabolism of the cell, are called primary metabolites. 

---