Table of contents

1. A Review of General Chemistry5h 5m
2. Molecular Representations1h 14m
3. Acids and Bases2h 46m
4. Alkanes and Cycloalkanes4h 19m
5. Chirality3h 39m
6. Thermodynamics and Kinetics1h 22m
7. Substitution Reactions1h 48m
8. Elimination Reactions2h 30m
9. Alkenes and Alkynes2h 9m
10. Addition Reactions3h 18m
11. Radical Reactions1h 58m
12. Alcohols, Ethers, Epoxides and Thiols2h 42m
13. Alcohols and Carbonyl Compounds2h 17m
14. Synthetic Techniques1h 26m
15. Analytical Techniques:IR, NMR, Mass Spect7h 3m
16. Conjugated Systems6h 13m
17. Ultraviolet Spectroscopy51m
18. Aromaticity2h 34m
19. Reactions of Aromatics: EAS and Beyond5h 1m
20. Phenols55m
21. Aldehydes and Ketones: Nucleophilic Addition4h 56m
22. Carboxylic Acid Derivatives: NAS2h 51m
23. The Chemistry of Thioesters, Phophate Ester and Phosphate Anhydrides1h 10m
24. Enolate Chemistry: Reactions at the Alpha-Carbon1h 53m
25. Condensation Chemistry2h 9m
26. Amines1h 43m
27. Heterocycles2h 0m
28. Carbohydrates5h 53m
29. Amino Acids3h 20m
30. Peptides and Proteins2h 42m
31. Catalysis in Organic Reactions1h 30m
32. Lipids 2h 50m
33. The Organic Chemistry of Metabolic Pathways2h 52m
34. Nucleic Acids1h 32m
35. Transition Metals6h 14m
36. Synthetic Polymers1h 49m

5. Chirality

Fischer Projection

Organic Chemistry

5. Chirality

Fischer Projection

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6:32 minutes

Problem 23.3Wade - 9th Edition

Textbook Question

(a) There is only one ketotriose, called dihydroxyacetone. Draw its structure.
(b) There is only one aldotriose, called glyceraldehyde. Draw the two enantiomers of glyceraldehyde.

Verified step by step guidance

(a) Identify the functional groups present in a ketotriose. A ketotriose is a three-carbon sugar with a ketone group.

(a) Draw the structure of dihydroxyacetone. Place the ketone group on the second carbon and hydroxyl groups on the first and third carbons.

(b) Identify the functional groups present in an aldotriose. An aldotriose is a three-carbon sugar with an aldehyde group.

(b) Draw the structure of glyceraldehyde. Place the aldehyde group on the first carbon and hydroxyl groups on the second and third carbons.

(b) Draw the two enantiomers of glyceraldehyde. Enantiomers are mirror images, so switch the position of the hydroxyl group on the second carbon to create the two forms.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Ketotriose

A ketotriose is a type of carbohydrate that contains three carbon atoms and a ketone functional group. The only naturally occurring ketotriose is dihydroxyacetone, which has the molecular formula C3H6O3. Its structure features a central carbon atom bonded to a ketone group (C=O) and two hydroxyl groups (–OH) on the adjacent carbon atoms, making it a simple yet important sugar in metabolic pathways.

Aldotriose

An aldotriose is a carbohydrate that consists of three carbon atoms and an aldehyde functional group. Glyceraldehyde is the only aldotriose, with the molecular formula C3H6O3. It can exist in two enantiomeric forms, D-glyceraldehyde and L-glyceraldehyde, which are mirror images of each other due to the presence of a chiral carbon atom, influencing their biochemical behavior and interactions.

Enantiomers

Enantiomers are a pair of molecules that are non-superimposable mirror images of each other, often differing in their spatial arrangement around a chiral center. In the case of glyceraldehyde, the two enantiomers (D and L forms) exhibit different optical activities, meaning they rotate plane-polarized light in opposite directions. This property is crucial in organic chemistry and biochemistry, as enantiomers can have vastly different biological activities.