Fructose

Fructose, also called fruit sugar, is a simple sugar known as a monosaccharide. It is found in many plants and often pairs with glucose to form sucrose, the sugar we use at home. Fructose is a white solid that dissolves in water. It is one of the three main sugars our bodies use for energy, along with glucose and galactose.

We can find fructose in many foods we enjoy, such as honey, fruits like apples and oranges, berries, flowers, and even root vegetables like sweet potatoes. Because it is sweet and easily used by the body for energy, fructose helps plants attract animals for pollination and gives us energy from our food.

Fructose is special because it is a ketonic hexose. This means it has a unique structure that makes it different from other sugars. This structure helps scientists study its role in plants and our food. Whether from a fruit or a spoonful of honey, fructose adds sweetness and energy to many foods we love.

History

Fructose was discovered by a French chemist named Augustin-Pierre Dubrunfaut in 1847. Later, in 1857, an English chemist named William Allen Miller named it "fructose." Pure fructose is a sweet, white, crystal-like substance that mixes easily in water.

Etymology

The word "fructose" was created in 1857. It comes from the Latin word for fruit, fructus, and the ending ‑ose, which is used for names of sugars. Fructose is also known as fruit sugar. It can also be called levulose because it changes light in a special way when shone through a solution.

Chemical structure

Fructose can change shapes, including six- and five-membered rings, and a straight chain. In water, the six-membered ring is the most common shape.

Fructose can be used by yeast and bacteria to make ethanol and carbon dioxide, which makes fizzy drinks bubbly. It also reacts with amino acids, which helps foods like baked goods turn brown.

Physical and functional properties

Fructose is very sweet, sweeter than regular table sugar. It is often used in foods and drinks because it tastes good.

Fructose mixes well with water and does not turn into hard crystals easily. This helps foods stay soft. It also pulls in moisture from the air and holds it, which helps keep foods fresh longer.