Monosaccharides are sweet-tasting solids that are very soluble in water. Chemical Properties of Monosaccharides. Pentoses and hexoses form cyclic hemiacetals or hemiketals whose structures can be represented by Haworth structures. Two isomers referred to as anomers are produced in the cyclization reaction. All monosaccharides are oxidized by Benedict's or Fehling's reagent and are called reducing sugars.
Monosaccharides can react with alcohols to produce acetals or ketals that are called glycosides.
Ribose and deoxyribose are important as components of nucleic acids. The hexoses glucose, galactose, and fructose are the most important nutritionally and the most abundant in nature. Glucose, also known as blood sugar, is transported within the bloodstream to body tissues where it supplies energy. Glycosidic linkages join monosaccharide units together to form disaccharides. Cellulose, starch, and glycogen are three important polysaccharides.