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Definition

noun

A simple monosaccharide sugar that serves as the main source of energy and as an important metabolic substrate for most living things. Its chemical formula is: C₆H₁₂O₆

Supplement

Glucose is a hexose sugar since it contains six carbon atoms, one of which is part of an aldehyde group, hence, is referred to as an aldohexose.

Glucose is one of the products of photosynthesis in plants and other photosynthetic organisms. In plants, glucose molecules are stored as repeating units of sugar (e.g. starch).

Glucose also serves as an important metabolic intermediate of cellular respiration. In animals, an excess of glucose is stored as glycogen.

Word origin: Greek gleukos = sweetness, glykys = sweet.

Related terms: Benedicts test for glucose, blood glucose, fasting glucose, glucose-6-phosphate.

Synonym: D-glucose, D-glucopyranose, grape sugar, corn sugar, dextrose, cerelose, starch syrup.
See also: monosaccharide.