What is the Difference Between Glyceraldehyde and Dihydroxyacetone?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚Glyceraldehyde and dihydroxyacetone are both simple carbohydrates with the same chemical formula (C3H6O3), but they have different structures and properties. The main differences between them are:
- Functional Group: Glyceraldehyde is an aldehyde, while dihydroxyacetone is a ketone.
- Stereochemistry: Glyceraldehyde has a chiral carbon and exists as a pair of enantiomers (D- and L-glyceraldehyde), while dihydroxyacetone does not contain a chiral carbon and does not exist as a pair of stereoisomers.
- Optical Activity: Glyceraldehyde is optically active, meaning it can rotate plane-polarized light, while dihydroxyacetone is optically inactive.
- Reactivity: Due to the differences in their structures and functional groups, glyceraldehyde and dihydroxyacetone have different reactivities.
- Hygroscopy: Glyceraldehyde is non-hygroscopic, while dihydroxyacetone is hygroscopic.
These differences in structure and properties make glyceraldehyde and dihydroxyacetone distinct compounds, despite their shared chemical formula.
Comparative Table: Glyceraldehyde vs Dihydroxyacetone
Here is a table comparing the differences between glyceraldehyde and dihydroxyacetone:
Property | Glyceraldehyde | Dihydroxyacetone |
---|---|---|
Chemical Formula | C3H6O3 | C3H6O3 |
Type of Carbohydrate | Simple carbohydrate | Simple carbohydrate |
Classification | Aldose (aldehyde) | Ketose (ketone) |
Structure | Three carbon atoms in a chain, two -OH groups, and a double-bonded oxygen atom at the end of the carbon chain | Three carbon atoms in a chain, two -OH groups, and a double-bonded oxygen atom at the center of the carbon chain |
Chirality | Has a chiral carbon, exists as a pair of enantiomers (D-glyceraldehyde and L-glyceraldehyde) | Does not contain a chiral carbon, does not exist as enantiomers |
Both glyceraldehyde and dihydroxyacetone are simple carbohydrates with the same chemical formula C3H6O3. However, they have different functional groups and structures, with glyceraldehyde being an aldehyde and dihydroxyacetone being a ketone. Glyceraldehyde has a chiral carbon and exists as two enantiomers (D-glyceraldehyde and L-glyceraldehyde), while dihydroxyacetone does not have a chiral carbon and does not exist as enantiomers.
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