Monosaccharides

Monosaccharides are carbohydrates which typically form a single ring. As can be derived from the name, monosaccharides are single sugars (mono = one, saccharide = sugar). The most important monosaccharides in nutrition each contain 6 carbon atoms, 12 hydrogens, and 6 oxygens (C 6 H 12 O 6). By solving this exercise you will find out that three monosaccharides are most important in nutrition. Those three form the building blocks of naturally occurring di-, oligo- and polysaccharides. They all have the same number and kind of atoms, but in different arrangements. These chemical differences result in differences in sweetness.