MONOSACCHARIDES

- Are simple sugar having a carbon backbone of three to seven carbon atoms.
- Comprises one oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms for each carbon atom present in
the molecules.
- Sometimes referred to as basic sugar.
- All the carbon atoms except one have a –OH group attached.
- The remaining carbon atom is part of an aldehyde group, in which case, the
monosaccharide is called an aldose or aldo sugar. In other cases, it is part of a keto
group, where it is called a ketose or keto sugar.
- Thus, all carbohydrates are aldoses or ketoses.
- Aldehyde group is attached to a glyceraldehydes.
- Whereas, keto group is attaced to the dihydroxacetone.

Aldehyde group

Glyceraldehyde

TRIOSE
- Triose are sugar with 3 carbon atoms in the molecule.

- Triose occur only in straight chain.

- Two examples of triose sugar dihydroxyacetone and glyceraldehydes.

 PENTOSE
- Pentose are sugar with 5 carbon atoms in the molecule.
- Occur in straight chain as well as ring form.
- Two examples are ribose and deoxyribose are found in the nucleic acids RNA and DNA.

HEXOSE
- Hexose are sugar with 6 carbon atoms in the molecule.
- Can exist as straight chain but they tend to form ring structures.
- Glucose is in the blood of animals and fructose is frequently found in fruits.