Arabinose
Arabinose
Arabinose (/əˈræbɪnoʊz/ or /əˈræbɪˌnoʊs/) is a monosaccharide (simple sugar) that is not commonly found in nature. It is an aldopentose – a monosaccharide containing five carbon atoms, and including an aldehyde functional group.
Etymology
The term "Arabinose" is derived from the plant gum arabic, from which it was first isolated. The suffix "-ose" denotes it as a sugar.
Structure
Arabinose is a pentose, a monosaccharide containing five carbon atoms. It has a chemical formula of C5H10O5. It can exist in either of two forms, known as D and L. The D form is more common in nature.
Biological Role
Arabinose is not commonly found in nature, but it is an important component of polysaccharides in plant cell walls, especially in the pectin structure. It is also used in culture media for bacteria in molecular biology, particularly in the lac operon model of gene expression.
Related Terms
- Monosaccharide: The simplest form of sugar and the most basic units of carbohydrates.
- Aldopentose: A monosaccharide containing five carbon atoms, and including an aldehyde functional group.
- Aldehyde: An organic compound containing a functional group with the structure −CHO.
- Pentose: A monosaccharide with five carbon atoms.
- Polysaccharide: A carbohydrate (e.g. starch, cellulose, or glycogen) whose molecules consist of a number of sugar molecules bonded together.
- Pectin: A soluble gelatinous polysaccharide that is present in ripe fruits and is extracted for use as a setting agent in jams and jellies.
- Lac operon: An operon required for the transport and metabolism of lactose in Escherichia coli and many other enteric bacteria.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Arabinose
- Wikipedia's article - Arabinose
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski