LIFE SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -Two naturally occurring trioses are aldotriose (glyceraldehyde) and ketotriose (dihydroxyacetone). These trioses are important metabolites in cellular respiration. For instance, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (C3H7O6P) is a metabolites triose that serves as an intermediate in different metabolic pathways.

Detailed explanation-2: -Glyceraldehyde is one of the simplest sugars; its chemical structure is CH2OH–CH2OH–CHO. It is classified as a triose (sugar with three carbons), and as an aldose (sugar with an aldehyde group).

Detailed explanation-3: -Glyceraldehyde (glyceral) is a triose monosaccharide with chemical formula C3H6O3. It is the simplest of all common aldoses. It is a sweet, colorless, crystalline solid that is an intermediate compound in carbohydrate metabolism.

Detailed explanation-4: -There are only three possible trioses (including dihydroxyacetone): L-glyceraldehyde and D-glyceraldehyde, the two enantiomers of glyceraldehyde, which are aldotrioses because the carbonyl group is at the end of the chain, and dihydroxyacetone, the only ketotriose, which is symmetrical and therefore has no enantiomers.

Detailed explanation-5: -The simplest sugars are the trioses. The possible trioses are shown in part (a) of Figure 16.2 “Structures of the Trioses"; glyceraldehyde is an aldotriose, while dihydroxyacetone is a ketotriose.