Fischer Projection

A Fischer projection is a convention for representing stereoisomers in a plane. D-Glucose is shown at the right in a Fischer projection.

The tetrahedron of bonds on a carbon is represented as a plane cross, where the bonds to the right and left are assumed to be pointing toward the viewer and the bonds to the top and bottom are assumed to be pointing away from the viewer. Projections of monosaccharides are oriented with the carbonyl group at the top; the chiral carbon farthest from the carbonyl group (which is the one that determines whether the sugar is the D or the L form) is then drawn with its hydroxyl to the right for the D form and to the left for the L form.

See also: Haworth Projection, Figure 9.9a, Diastereomers, Sugar Ring Structures