1.

1 Represented of monosaccharides
In organic chemistry, monosaccharides, the simplest
carbohydrates are represented in three ways: the Fischer
projection, the Haworth projection, and the chair
conformation.

the Fischer projection

A Fischer projection shows the skeleton of the acyclic
monosaccharide, carbon atoms are arrangement in vertical
line, always the position of aldo group in the C1 and keto
group in the C2 (begin from the top) , the position of H and OH
is on the right and left of carbon atom.
H
C

OH

HO

CH2OH
C

HO

OH

OH

OH

OH

CH2OH
D-Glucose
(aldohexoses)

CH2OH
D-Fructose
(ketohexoses)

The family of D-aldose having three to six carbon atoms are

represented by this method as shown below.

The family of D-Ketose

the Haworth Projection

A Haworth projection can be used to represent the cyclic form
of monosaccharides. The five-member closed chain form of a
monosaccharide is known as a furanose, while the six-member
cyclic form of a monosaccharide is known as a pyranose.
O

furanose

pyranose

Methods of Converting Fischer Projections to Haworth

Projections:
Lets consider two sugars, one an aldohexose, the other an
aldopentose.
CHO

OH

OH

CHO
H

HO

HO

HO

OH
H
OH
CH2OH

CH2OH
L-sugar

1.

D-sugar

Draw the basic structure for the sugar

O
O

2.

If the sugar is a D-sugar place a CH2OH above the ring on the

carbon to the left of the oxygen, for an L-sugar place it below
the ring.
O

CH2OH

CH2 OH

D-sugar

L-sugar

3.

For an -sugar place an OH below the ring on the carbon to the

right of the ring oxygen, for an -sugar place the OH above the
ring.
O

CH2OH

CH2 OH

OH

OH
L-sugar

4.

D-sugar

Finally, OH groups on the right go below the ring and those on

the left above, using the CH2OH group as the reference point
for both projections.

H
OH

O
CH2 OH
H
H

OH

H
OH
OH
L-sugar

CH2OH

OH

OH

OH

H
D-sugar