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Glite Dictionary
tetrose

tetrose

9.9
A sugar made of four carbon atoms
  • noun
  • /ˈtɛtroʊs/
  • Specialized
: tetrosa
  • A tetrose is a type of monosaccharide that has four carbon atoms in its structure.

Examples

  • A tetrose is less common in nature than sugars with five or six carbon atoms.

  • The tetrose molecule has four carbon atoms.

  • Scientists identified a new type of tetrose during their carbohydrate studies.

  • The structure of a tetrose is simpler than that of a hexose.

  • A tetrose is a type of sugar.

  • Many biochemists study the properties of a tetrose as part of carbohydrate research.

  • In simple terms, a tetrose is a four-carbon sugar commonly found in nature.

Surface Forms

tetrose singular
tetroses plural

Morphology

tetrose = tetro + ose

The form is built from the combining form 'tetro-' (four) plus the chemical suffix '-ose' (sugar); the structure is clear to those familiar with scientific naming but is specialized vocabulary for general learners.

Etymology

Tetrose comes from the prefix tetra- meaning 'four' and the sugar ending -ose, as in glucose. So a tetrose is a sugar that has four carbon atoms.