Monosaccharide
Definition
noun, plural: monosaccharides
(biochemistry)
(1) A simple sugar, example: fructose, glucose, and ribose.
(2) The simplest form of carbohydrate; therefore, it cannot be broken down to simpler sugars by hydrolysis.
(3) A sugar that constitutes the building blocks of a more complex form of sugars such as oligosaccharides and polysaccharides.
(4) Molecule with chemical formula (CH2O)n+m, and with the chemical structure H(CHOH)nC=O(CHOH)mH.
Supplement
Monosaccharides are classified by the number of carbon atoms they contain:
- Triose, 3 carbon atoms
- Tetrose, 4 carbon atoms
- Pentose, 5 carbon atoms
- Hexose, 6 carbon atoms
- Heptose, 7 carbon atoms
- Octose, 8 carbon atoms
- Nonose, 9 carbon atoms
- Decose, 10 carbon atoms
Monosaccharides are classified the type of carbonyl group they contain:
Word origin: from Greek, monos: single + sacchar: sugar.
Synonym: monosaccharose, simple sugar.
Compare: disaccharide, polysaccharide.
See also: carbohydrate.
