Question

What general name is given to sugars containing five carbon atoms? six carbon atoms? three carbon atoms?

Short answer

Sugars containing five carbon atoms are referred to as "pentoses", those with six carbon atoms are called "hexoses", and those with three carbon atoms are known as "trioses".

Step-by-step solution

Identify the class of sugars with five carbon atoms

These sugars are referred to as "pentoses". The term "pentose" comes from the Greek word "pente", meaning five, and it refers to a sugar molecule that contains five carbon atoms.

Identify the class of sugars with six carbon atoms

These sugars are known as "hexoses". The nomenclature "hexose" is derived from the Greek term "hex", which means six. Hexoses are sugar compounds containing six carbon atoms.

Identify the class of sugars with three carbon atoms

Sugars containing three carbon atoms are known as "trioses". The term "triose" is derived from the word "tri", meaning three, and represents a sugar molecule that contains three carbon atoms.