Write the formula for a monosaccharide that has three carbons?

Short Answer

Expert verified

C3H6O3 is the formula for a three-carbon monosaccharide.

Step by step solution

01

Meaning of monosaccharide

Simple sugars refer to monosaccharides. They are made up of a single unit of polyhydroxy aldehyde or ketone. These are crystalline solids that are colorless and easily soluble in water but insoluble in nonpolar solvents.

Simple sugars can be utilized as a source of energy, transformed into other organic molecules, joined into polymers, and formed into rings. D-glucose, a six-carbon sugar, is the most prevalent monosaccharide.

02

 Step 2: Structure of monosaccharide

Unbranched carbon chains, in which single bonds link all carbon atoms, form the backbone of common monosaccharide compounds. Monosaccharides can function on their own or as a monomer for disaccharides and polysaccharides.

In monosaccharides, one of the carbon atoms is double-bonded to an oxygen atom to form a carbonyl group in the open-chain form. In contrast, each of the other carbon atoms has a hydroxyl group.

The monosaccharide is an aldose if the carbonyl group is at the end of the carbon chain (in an aldehyde group); the monosaccharide is a ketose if the carbonyl group is at any other position (in a ketone group).

03

Formula of three carbon monosaccharides

Monosaccharides have the chemical formula (CH2O)n, with n equal to more than 3. Thus, the formula for trioses is (CH2O)3, i.e., C3H6O3.

Glyceraldehyde or dihydroxyacetone has the formula C3H6O3. These two three-carbon monosaccharides are trioses; glyceraldehyde is an aldotriose, and dihydroxyacetone is a ketotriose.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Biology Textbooks

View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free