galactose

views updated May 18 2018

galactose A six‐carbon sugar (a monosaccharide) differing from glucose only in position of the hydroxyl group on carbon‐4. It is about one‐third as sweet as sucrose. The main dietary source is the disaccharide lactose in milk, and it is important in formation of the galactolipids (cerebrosides) of nerve tissue. See also galactosaemia.

galactose

views updated May 18 2018

galactose A simple sugar, C6H12O6, stereoisomeric with glucose, that occurs naturally as one of the products of the enzymic digestion of milk sugar (lactose) and as a constituent of gum arabic.

galactose

views updated May 23 2018

galactose An aldohexose monosaccharide that is not normally found naturally in the free form, but more usually is found as a unit in a larger molecule (e.g. a di- or polysaccharide).

galactose

views updated May 29 2018

galactose An aldohexose monosaccharide that is not normally found naturally in the free form, but usually as a unit in a larger molecule, e.g. a di- or polysaccharide.

galactose

views updated Jun 27 2018

galactose (gă-lak-tohz) n. a simple sugar and a constituent of the milk sugar lactose. Galactose is converted to glucose in the liver.