What is the Difference Between Hexose and Pentose?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚Hexose and pentose are both types of monosaccharides, which are the simplest form of carbohydrates. The main difference between them is the number of carbon atoms they contain:
- Hexose: These are monosaccharides with six carbon atoms. Examples of hexoses include glucose, galactose, mannose, and fructose. The first three are aldoses, while fructose is a ketose.
- Pentose: These are monosaccharides with five carbon atoms. Examples of pentoses include ribose and 2-deoxyribose. Both are aldopentoses and are incorporated into larger biomolecules, such as NAD+ and RNA (ribose) and DNA (2-deoxyribose).
Both hexose and pentose monosaccharides have the general chemical formula of ${ C }{ n }{ H }{ 2n }{ O }_{ n }$, where n represents the number of carbon atoms.
Comparative Table: Hexose vs Pentose
The main difference between hexoses and pentoses lies in the number of carbon atoms in their molecular structure. Hexoses are monosaccharides with six carbon atoms, while pentoses are monosaccharides with five carbon atoms. Here is a table summarizing the differences between hexose and pentose:
| Feature | Hexose | Pentose |
|---|---|---|
| Carbon Atoms | 6 | 5 |
| Examples | Glucose, Galactose, Fructose | Ribose, Xylose, Arabinose, Lyxose |
| Chiral Centers | Hexose molecules have more chiral centers than pentose molecules | |
| Stereoisomers | Due to the higher number of chiral centers, hexose molecules have more possible stereoisomers than pentose molecules |
Some common hexoses include glucose, galactose, and fructose, while common pentoses include ribose, xylose, arabinose, and lyxose.
- Deoxyribose vs Ribose
- Aldohexose vs Ketohexose
- Pentose Phosphate Pathway vs Glycolysis
- Glucose vs Fructose
- Ribose vs Ribulose
- Heptane vs Hexane
- Sucrose vs Fructose
- Hexokinase vs Glucokinase
- Furanose vs Pyranose
- Glucose 6 Phosphate vs Fructose 6 Phosphate
- Purine vs Pyrimidine
- Trehalose vs Maltose
- Nucleotide vs Nucleoside
- Oxidative vs Nonoxidative Pentose Phosphate Pathway
- Glucose vs Galactose
- Hexane vs n-Hexane
- Sucrose vs Glucose
- Hexane vs Cyclohexane
- Thymine vs Thymidine