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Monosaccharides are carbohydrates in the form of simple sugars.
Monosaccharides, like disaccharides, are sweet, water soluble and crystalline.
Monosaccharides are classified by the number of carbon atoms they contain (triose, tetrose, pentose, hexose and heptose) and by the active group, which is either an aldehyde or a ketone. These are then combined, e.g. aldohexoses, ketotrioses.
Further, each carbon atom that supports a hydroxyl group (except for the first and last) is chiral, allowing a number of isomeric carbohydrates with the same basic structure. For instance, galactose is an aldohexose, but has different properties from glucose because the atoms are arranged differently.
Examples include:
Physical properties
Mostly colourless, crystalline solids.(sweet)
Structure
With a few notable exceptions (e.g. deoxyribose or amino sugars), they have the general chemical formula:
- (CH2O)n
Monosaccharides contain either a ketone or aldehyde functional group.
Cyclic structure
A common way of representing the cyclic structure of monosaccharides is the Haworth projection.
Isomerism
The number of possible stereo-isomers (n) is dependent on the number of chiral centers (c) in the molecule:- n = 2c.
Nomenclature
Monosaccharides containing an aldehyde group are classified as aldoses. Those containing a ketone group are classified as ketoses.
Reactions
- Formation of acetals.
See also
External links
Nomenclature of Carbohydrates (http://www.chem.qmul.ac.uk/iupac/2carb/app.html)
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