Question

What is the difference between an aldose and a ketose?

Answer 1

An aldose contains an aldehyde group; a ketose contains a ketone group,

Explanation:

The ending -ose tells you that both aldoses and ketoses are carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates are just polyhydroxyaldehydes (aldoses) or polyhydroxyketones (ketoses).

So, for a carbohydrate to be an aldose it needs an aldehyde group and, to be a ketose, it needs a ketone group.

In the structures below, the aldehyde and ketone carbonyl groups have a pink highlight.

Examples of aldoses are glucose

and ribose.

Examples of ketoses are fructose

and ribulose

(from 2012books.lardbucket.org)