Anomeric center

Definition

The anomeric center in a carbohydrate is the carbon atom that becomes a new chiral center upon cyclization of the sugar, usually carbon-1 in aldoses and carbon-2 in ketoses. It's characterized by its ability to form two different configurations (alpha or beta) depending on the orientation of the substituent group relative to the cyclic molecule.

Related terms

Monosaccharides: Simple sugars that cannot be hydrolyzed into smaller carbohydrates; they are fundamental building blocks of more complex carbohydrates.

Hemiacetal Formation: A chemical reaction where an aldehyde reacts with an alcohol under acidic conditions to form a hemiacetal, involving creation of a new chiral center at what becomes the anomeric carbon in sugars.

Glycosidic Bond: A covalent bond formed between two monosaccharides by a dehydration reaction, often involving an anomeric carbon of one sugar reacting with another hydroxyl group