Monosaccharide

In biochemistry, monosaccharides are carbohydrates in the form of simple sugars.

Monosaccharides, like disaccharides, are sweet, water soluble and crystalline. Examples include the hexoses (glucose, fructose, and galactose) and pentoses (ribose, deoxyribose).

Structure

They have the general formula:

C(H₂O)_n