Carbohydrates - Monosaccharides
Monosaccharides can be classified in a number of ways. They can be classified by the number of carbon atoms they contain. While there are others, pentoses (5 carbons) and hexoses (6 carbons) are the most common.
Monosaccharides can also be classified as ketoses or aldoses. A ketose contains a carbonyl group, in addition to having one or more hydroxyl groups. An aldose contains an aldehyde group in addition to the hydroxyl groups. The two descriptors are commonly combined into a single term like "aldohexose" for an aldose that also is a hexose.
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glucose
(an aldohexose)
| ribose
(an aldopentose)
| fructose
(a ketohexose)
| ribulose
(a ketopentose)
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Continue and read about how monosaccharides cyclize.
