Monosaccharides

Monosaccharide is another term for a simple sugar, such as glucose, which is not linked to any other sugars.

Common monosaccharides include:

Glucose | Mannose
Fructose | Ribose
Galactose | Erythrose

Monosaccharides may be called trioses, tetroses, pentoses, hexoses, heptoses, or octoses, depending on whether they have 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 carbons, respectively, in them.

Monosaccharides containing an aldehyde group are called aldoses.

Monosaccharides containing a ketone group are called ketoses.

Monosaccharides that form five member rings are called furanoses.

Monosaccharides that form six member rings are called pyranoses.

See also: Monosaccharide Nomenclature, Oligosaccharides, Polysaccharides