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Carbohydrate, class of naturally occurring compounds and derivatives formed from them. In the early part of the 19th century, substances such as wood, starch, and linen were found to be composed mainly of molecules containing atoms of carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O) and to have the general formula C H O ; other organic molecules with 6 12 6 similar formulas were found to have a similar ratio of hydrogen to oxygen. The general formula C (H O) is commonly used to represent many x 2 y carbohydrates, which means “watered carbon.” Carbohydrates are probably the most abundant and widespread organic substances in nature, and they are essential constituents of all living things. The other organic compounds also contain Carbon, hydrogen and Oxygen they are not carbohydrates. For example, Acetic Acid which is CH COOH. Now 3 although this will fit in the general formula of carbohydrate i.e. C (H O) we x 2 y, know that acetic acid is not a carbohydrate. Formaldehyde (HCHO) also falls under this category of this general formula but is also not a carbohydrate.