Octose

An octose is a monosaccharide (simple sugar) with eight carbon atoms. Octoses are relatively rare in nature compared to hexoses (six-carbon sugars) and pentoses (five-carbon sugars). They are typically formed as intermediates in biosynthetic pathways or through laboratory synthesis. Like other monosaccharides, octoses can exist in linear or cyclic forms. The cyclic forms are typically furanoses (five-membered rings) or pyranoses (six-membered rings). Specific examples of octoses include, but are not limited to, D-manno-octulose and L-glycero-D-manno-octulose. Their chemical properties are similar to those of other monosaccharides, including reactivity with reducing agents and the ability to form glycosidic bonds. Because of their structural complexity, the synthesis and study of octoses often require specialized techniques in organic chemistry.