Ketotrioses

Ketotriose is a simple sugar that contains a ketone functional group and three carbon atoms. It is the simplest of the ketoses. The most common ketotriose is dihydroxyacetone. Ketotrioses are monosaccharides and are classified as carbohydrates. They are often found as intermediates in metabolic pathways, such as glycolysis. In glycolysis, fructose-1,6-bisphosphate is cleaved into glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate and dihydroxyacetone phosphate. Dihydroxyacetone phosphate is then isomerized to glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate, allowing it to proceed through the rest of glycolysis. While dihydroxyacetone is the most well-known ketotriose, other ketotrioses are theoretically possible but are not commonly encountered in biological systems. The general formula for a ketotriose is C3H6O3. Their structure consists of a three-carbon chain with a carbonyl group (ketone) on the second carbon atom and hydroxyl groups on the first and third carbon atoms.

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