Monosaccharides are simple sugars.
The most basic unit from which all carbohydrates are built.
Contrary to their name (sugars), only some monosaccharides have a sweet taste.
Most monosaccharides have the formula
(though not all molecules with this formula are monosaccharides).
Monosaccharides (for example):
- Glucose (Dextrose)
- Fructose (Levulose)
- Galactose
Monosaccharides are the building blocks of:
- Disaccharides
- Sucrose
- Lactose
- Maltose
- Polysaccharides
- Cellulose
- Chitin
- Starch
The table sugar used in everyday vernacular is itself a disaccharide sucrose comprising one molecule of each of the two monosaccharides d-glucose and d-fructose.
The monosaccharide glucose plays a pivotal role in metabolism, where the chemical energy is extracted through glycolysis and the citric acid cycle to provide energy to living organisms. Maltose is the dehydration condensate of two glucose molecules.