Answer "Monosaccharides: Why 3 Carbon Atoms?

[lab one]

challenge question!

whay does not monossacharides come less than three carbon atoms?? (I mean they just come triose to hexose)>>thnk you

 

[Galap]

the closest thing to a 'diose' wold be HOCCHO, or a hydroxyl group on one carbon and an aldehyde on the other.

it is very sugar-like, but isn't considered a sugar because the empirical ratio of elements can't be quite right when there are only 2 carbons.

 

[sjb-2812]

the closest thing to a 'diose' wold be HOCCHO, or a hydroxyl group on one carbon and an aldehyde on the other.

it is very sugar-like, but isn't considered a sugar because the empirical ratio of elements can't be quite right when there are only 2 carbons.

Note that the compound you've written out is not an hydroxyaldehyde, rather a dialdehyde (glyoxal).

There is nothing wrong with Gylcolaldehyde OHCCH₂OH [or (CH₂O)₂ in "carbo'hydrate'" terms] (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Glycolaldehyde&oldid=392458101), which suggests you may need a stable cyclic form to be a proper monosaccharide. Perhaps http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Monosaccharide&oldid=391746084 can help?