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What Is Monosaccharide How To Classify

Monosaccharides are the simplest carbohydrates that cannot be broken down further. They are classified based on three characteristics: 1) whether the carbonyl group is an aldehyde (aldose) or ketone (ketose), 2) the number of carbon atoms (trioses have 3, hexoses have 6), and 3) their chiral handedness which results in isomers. Examples of common monosaccharides are glucose (an aldohexose), fructose (a ketohexose), and ribose (an aldopentose).

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72 views5 pages

What Is Monosaccharide How To Classify

Monosaccharides are the simplest carbohydrates that cannot be broken down further. They are classified based on three characteristics: 1) whether the carbonyl group is an aldehyde (aldose) or ketone (ketose), 2) the number of carbon atoms (trioses have 3, hexoses have 6), and 3) their chiral handedness which results in isomers. Examples of common monosaccharides are glucose (an aldohexose), fructose (a ketohexose), and ribose (an aldopentose).

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What is Monosaccharide? How to Classify?

Monosaccharides are the simplest carbohydrates in that they cannot be hydrolyzed to smaller
carbohydrates. They are basic units of Carbohydrates. They are made up of only one carbohydrate
moiety. The general chemical formula of an unmodified monosaccharide is (C•H2O) n, literally a
“carbon hydrate”. This is termed as the empirical formula.

In this formula the “n” varies form 3-6 and rarely seven. This implies that in nature no. of carbon
atoms found in monosaccharide varies from minimum 3 to maximum 7.

The smallest monosaccharides (for which n = 3) are dihydroxyacetone and glyceraldehyde.


However, not all carbohydrates conform to this precise stoichiometric definition (e.g., uronic acids,
deoxy-sugars such as fucose), nor are all chemicals that do conform to this definition automatically
classified as carbohydrates.
Check back this basics:

 What is Carbohydrates? How to explain in short way?


 How to determine Carbohydrates in practical laboratory?
 How to classify Monosaccharides?
Monosaccharide are classified according to three different
characteristics:
Table of Contents [hide]
 1 Monosaccharide are classified according to three different characteristics:
o 1.1 1. Placement of its carbonyl group :
o 1.2 2. Number of Carbon Atoms:
 1.2.1 Trioses:
 1.2.2 Tetroses:
 1.2.3 Pentoses:
 1.2.4 Hexoses:
 1.2.4.1 D- Glucose:
 1.2.4.2 D-Galactose:
 1.2.4.3 D-Mannose:
 1.2.4.4 D- Fructose:
 1.2.5 Heptoses:
o 1.3 3. Its chiral handedness/ Isomerism:
1. Placement of its carbonyl group,
2. Number of carbon atoms it contains, and
3. Its chiral handedness.
1. Placement of its carbonyl group :
If the carbonyl group is an aldehyde and attached to C-1, the monosaccharide is an Aldose; if the
carbonyl group is a ketone attached to C-2, the monosaccharide is a Ketose. Therefore
monosaccharides are called aldoses and ketoses derivatives of polyhydric alcohols. Glucose is an
example of an aldose and fructose is an example of ketose.

2. Number of Carbon Atoms:


Monosaccharides with three carbon atoms are called trioses, those with four are called tetroses,
five are called pentoses, six are hexoses, and so on. These two systems of classification are often
combined. For example, glucose is an aldohexose (a six-carbon aldehyde), ribose is an aldopentose
(a five-carbon aldehyde), and fructose is a ketohexose (a six-carbon ketone). Various examples of
other monosaccharide is given in the following table.
Trioses:
A triose is a monosaccharide containing three carbon atoms. General formula is C3H6O3. There
are only two trioses, an aldotriose (glyceraldehyde) and a ketotriose (dihydroxyacetone). Trioses
are important in respiration. Namely, lactic acid and pyruvic acid are derived from aldotriose and
ketotriose, respectively.
Tetroses:
A tetrose is a monosaccharide containing four carbon atoms. General formula is
C4H8O4. Example:D- Erythrose-4-P is an intermediate in hexosemonophosphate shunt which is an
alternative of glucose oxidation
Pentoses:
A pentose is a monosaccharide containing five carbon atoms. General formula is C5H10O5.
Example of Pentoses are

 D- ribose is a constituent of RNA and many co-enzymes e.g. FAD, NAD.


 D-2 deoxy is a constituent of DNA component of DNA.
 D-Lyxose is a constituent of lyxoflavin found in human heart.
 D- arabinose is a constituent of plant cell wall
 Phosphate esters of D- Ribulose and D- xylose occurs as an intermediate in HMP pathway
Hexoses:
A Hexose is a monosaccharide containing six carbon atoms. General formula is C6H12O6
D- Glucose:
It is the chief physiological sugar present in human blood. Its values are regulated between 70-110
mg / dl of blood by an pancreatic hormone Insulin and Glucagon. Increase in blood sugar levels
lead to Diabetes . All tissues utilize glucose for energy . Brain and Erythrocytes depend exclusively
on glucose. Its polymeric form glycogen is used as energy storage material in animals. Its
polymeric form starch is used as energy storage material in plants.

D-Galactose:
seldom found free in nature occurs as a constituent of milk sugar lactose and in tissues as
galactolipids and glycoproteins.

D-Mannose:
It is used to stamp proteins by the process of glucosylation. It does not occur free in nature but is
widely distributed in combination as the polysaccharide mannan ,e.g.-ivory nut. It is also found as
the constituent of glycoproteins

D- Fructose:
it is a ketohexose and is commonly called the fruit sugar, as it occurs in fruit. It is a sweet sugar
sweeter than glucose and sucrose. It is found in honey as laevulose. In the seminal fluid of man
fructose is the chief source of energy for sperms.

Heptoses:
A heptose is a monosaccharide containing seven carbon atoms. General formula is C7H14O7.
Examples are Sedoheptulose It is a keto-heptulose found in plants of the sedum family. (most of
the aldoses end in “-oses” and ketoses end in “uloses” e.g. erythrose and erythrulose).
3. Its chiral handedness/ Isomerism:

A chiral carbon is an asymmetric carbon which is linked to four different groups of molecules.
Presence of asymmetric carbon gives rise to isomers within the same compound.
Isomers are molecules with same molecular formula but different structural formula.

All the monosaccharides except dihydroxyacetone contain one or more asymmetric (chiral) carbon
atom.Thus most of the monosaccharides exhibit isomerism.

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