regiose

Regiose

Regiose is a term that appears in some niche carbohydrate chemistry discourse to denote regioisomeric forms of sugars. The construction of the word combines regio-, for position or region, with -ose, a suffix common to sugars. In this usage, regiose refers to isomers that share the same molecular formula but differ in the location of substituents or functional groups along the carbon backbone, leading to distinct structural forms.

Usage and status

Regiose is not part of the standard nomenclature in major chemical dictionaries, and its use is not widespread. In most authoritative texts, positional isomerism among carbohydrates is discussed using the terms regioisomer or regioisomerism, or by more precise classifications such as aldose versus ketose or by explicit naming of substituent positions. When regiose appears, it is typically in exploratory, pedagogical, or informal contexts to highlight positional differences rather than to introduce a formal category.

Relationship to other concepts

Regiose is conceptually related to regioisomerism, which covers the general idea of isomers differing in the placement of functional groups on a carbon skeleton. In carbohydrate chemistry, precise terminology often supersedes umbrella labels; authors may refer to specific structural features (e.g., position of the carbonyl group or major hydroxymethyl substituent) rather than using regiose as a formal designation.

See also

Regioisomer, Regioselectivity, Monosaccharide, Carbohydrate chemistry