Generally, the glucose molecule is drawn as a linear chain of 6 carbon atoms for easy understanding.īut there are different structural forms of glucose. The glucose molecule comprises 12 hydrogen and six oxygen atoms bound to the parent carbon chain. The carbons in the glucose molecules are linked by covalent bonds, which, on breaking, yield energy to an organism. They have equal molecular formulas but differ in their structures and configurations.

The aldehyde containing glucose can convert into a ketone containing fructose because they are isomers. When the carbohydrate holds a ketone group (-CO) as a functional group, it is called a ketose.įor example, the hexose monosaccharide fructose is a ketose containing a ketone functional group at the second carbon of the 6-carbon chain. Glucose is a sugar-containing six carbon atoms and an aldehyde as its functional group. The liberation of energy in the form of ATP happens by breaking down glucose through the process of the citric acid cycle or fermentation. The production of glycogen from glucose takes place through a process of glycogenesis. Glucose is synthesised in living organisms by breaking down the ingested carbohydrates through the process of glycolysis within the cell.Īs a consequence of metabolising glucose, the molecule is either stored as glycogen in the body or used up as energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Thus, it is an aldose type when the monosaccharides are classified according to the nature of the functional group. It contains an aldehyde (-CHO) group present on the first carbon (C1). The chemical molecular formula of the glucose molecule is C 6 H 12 O 6. Other examples of hexoses are fructose, mannose, etc. It is a 6-carbon compound, and so it is a hexose type of monosaccharide when the monosaccharides are classified based on the number of carbon atoms present. Glucose is a monosaccharide, meaning it has only one monomer unit of sugar molecule.

Glucose’s different structural forms mean it has different rotations and confirmations. We picture the glucose molecule as a linear chain, but there are different structural forms of glucose.

It is a hexose molecule because it has six carbon atoms. Glucose is a monosaccharide that can conjoin multiple times with other compounds to form a polysaccharide. It is easily available commercially, too. Glucose is the most common sugar a carbohydrate that can be used by any living organism on Earth.

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