Chemicals and Drugs

Sugars

Short chain carbohydrate molecules that have hydroxyl groups attached to each carbon atom unit with the exception of one carbon that has a doubly-bond aldehyde or ketone oxygen. Cyclical sugar molecules are formed when the aldehyde or ketone groups respectively form a hemiacetal or hemiketal bond with one of the hydroxyl carbons. The three dimensional structure of the sugar molecule occurs in a vast array of biological and synthetic classes of specialized compounds including AMINO SUGARS; CARBASUGARS; DEOXY SUGARS; SUGAR ACIDS; SUGAR ALCOHOLS; and SUGAR PHOSPHATES.

National Library of MedicineMedical Subject Headings2026

Structured Summary

Abstract

Short chain carbohydrate molecules that have hydroxyl groups attached to each carbon atom unit with the exception of one carbon that has a doubly-bond aldehyde or ketone oxygen. Cyclical sugar molecules are formed when the aldehyde or ketone groups respectively form a hemiacetal or hemiketal bond with one of the hydroxyl carbons. The three dimensional structure of the sugar molecule occurs in a vast array of biological and synthetic classes of specialized compounds including AMINO SUGARS; CARBASUGARS; DEOXY SUGARS; SUGAR ACIDS; SUGAR ALCOHOLS; and SUGAR PHOSPHATES.

MeSH Record

Classification

Broader headings

Narrower headings

Related Concepts

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Drug Class

Pharmacological Action

MeSH Record

Synonyms

1 entry terms
  • Sugar

MeSH Record

Aspects Covered

24 allowable subheadings

Indexed with the subheadings administration & dosage, adverse effects, agonists, analysis, antagonists & inhibitors, blood, cerebrospinal fluid, chemical synthesis, chemistry, classification, economics, history, immunology, isolation & purification, metabolism, pharmacokinetics, pharmacology, poisoning, radiation effects, standards, supply & distribution, therapeutic use, toxicity, urine.

MeSH Record

History Note

2018

MeSH Hierarchy

Tree Number

  1. D09w.947w

MeSH Record

NLM Classification

QU 81

AMA Style

References

  1. National Library of Medicine. Sugars. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). 2026. Unique ID D000073893. http://id.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/2026/D000073893
  2. Sugars. In: Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar
  3. Sugars. In: Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11002