article

A tetrose is a monosaccharide with 4 carbon atoms.

They either have an aldehyde functional group in position 1 (aldotetroses) or a ketone functional group in position 2 (ketotetroses).

The aldotetroses have two chiral centres ("asymmetric carbon atoms") and so 4 different stereoisomers are possible.

The naturally occurring aldotetroses are:

The only naturally occurring ketotetrose is D-erythrulose.

See also


Monosaccharides

Tetrose | Tetrosa | Tétrose

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Tetrose".

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