Molecules, such as the isomers of glyceraldehyde—the atoms of which can have different structural arrangements—are known as asymmetrical molecules. The number of possible structural arrangements for an asymmetrical molecule depends on the number of centres of asymmetry; i.e., for n (any given number of) centres of asymmetry, 2ⁿ different isomers of a molecule are possible. An asymmetrical centre in the case of carbon is defined as a carbon atom to which four different groups are attached. In the three-carbon aldose sugar, glyceraldehyde, the asymmetrical centre is located at the central carbon atom.

The position of the hydroxyl group (―OH) attached to the central carbon atom—i.e., whether ―OH projects from the left or the right—determines whether the molecule rotates the plane of polarized light to the left or to the right. Since glyceraldehyde has one asymmetrical centre, n is one in the relationship 2ⁿ, and there thus are two possible glyceraldehyde isomers. Sugars containing four carbon atoms have two asymmetrical centres; hence, there are four possible isomers (2²). Similarly, sugars with five carbon atoms have three asymmetrical centres and thus have eight possible isomers (2³). Keto sugars have one less asymmetrical centre for a given number of carbon atoms than do aldehyde sugars.

A convention of nomenclature, devised in 1906, states that the form of glyceraldehyde whose asymmetrical carbon atom has a hydroxyl group projecting to the right is designated as of the d-configuration; that form, whose asymmetrical carbon atom has a hydroxyl group projecting to the left, is designated as l. All sugars that can be derived from d-glyceraldehyde—i.e., hydroxyl group attached to the asymmetrical carbon atom most remote from the aldehyde or keto end of the molecule projects to the right—are said to be of the d-configuration; those sugars derived from l-glyceraldehyde are said to be of the l-configuration.

The configurational notation d or l is independent of the sign of the optical rotation of a sugar in solution. It is common, therefore, to designate both, as, for example, d-(l)-fructose or d-(d)-glucose; i.e., both have a d-configuration at the centre of asymmetry most remote from the aldehyde end (in glucose) or keto end (in fructose) of the molecule, but fructose is levorotatory and glucose is dextrorotatory—hence the latter has been given the alternative name dextrose. Although the initial assignments of configuration for the glyceraldehydes were made on purely arbitrary grounds, studies that were carried out nearly half a century later established them as correct in an absolute spatial sense. In biological systems, only the d or l form may be utilized.

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When more than one asymmetrical centre is present in a molecule, as is the case with sugars having four or more carbon atoms, a series of dl pairs exists, and they are functionally, physically, and chemically distinct. Thus, although d-xylose and d-lyxose both have five carbon atoms and are of the d-configuration, the spatial arrangement of the asymmetrical centres (at carbon atoms 2, 3, and 4) is such that they are not mirror images.

Hemiacetal and hemiketal forms

Although optical rotation has been one of the most frequently determined characteristics of carbohydrates since its recognition in the late 19th century, the rotational behaviour of freshly prepared solutions of many sugars differs from that of solutions that have been allowed to stand. This phenomenon, known as mutarotation, is demonstrable even with apparently identical sugars and is caused by a type of stereoisomerism involving formation of an asymmetrical centre at the first carbon atom (aldehyde carbon) in aldoses and the second one (keto carbon) in ketoses.

Most pentose and hexose sugars, therefore, do not exist as linear, or open-chain, structures in solution but form cyclic, or ring, structures in hemiacetal or hemiketal forms, respectively. As illustrated for glucose and fructose, the cyclic structures are formed by the addition of the hydroxyl group (―OH) from either the fourth, fifth, or sixth carbon atom to the carbonyl group at position 1 in glucose or 2 in fructose. In the case of five-membered cyclic ketohexose or six-membered cyclic aldohexose, the cyclic forms are in equilibrium with (i.e., the rate of conversion from one form to another is stable) the open-chain structure—a free aldehyde if the solution contains glucose, a free ketone if it contains fructose; each form has a different optical rotation value. Since the forms are in equilibrium with each other, a constant value of optical rotation is measurable; the two cyclic forms represent more than 99.9 percent of the sugar in the case of a glucose solution.

By definition, the carbon atom containing the aldehyde or keto group is called the anomeric carbon atom; similarly, carbohydrate stereoisomers that differ in configuration only at this carbon atom are called anomers. When a cyclic hemiacetal or hemiketal structure forms, the structure with the new hydroxyl group projecting on the same side as that of the oxygen involved in forming the ring is called the alpha anomer; that with the hydroxyl group projecting on the opposite side from that of the oxygen ring is called the beta anomer.

The spatial arrangements of the atoms in these cyclic structures are better shown (glucose is used as an example) in the representation devised by British organic chemist Sir Norman Haworth about 1930; they are still in widespread use. In the formulation the asterisk indicates the position of the anomeric carbon atom; the carbon atoms, except at position 6, usually are not labelled.

The large number of asymmetrical carbon atoms and the consequent number of possible isomers considerably complicates the structural chemistry of carbohydrates.

Monosaccharides