Dextrose

<p ><b>Glucose</b>&nbsp;(<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPA_for_English" title="Wikipedia:IPA for English" >/</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPA_for_English#Key" title="Wikipedia:IPA for English" >ˈɡluːkoʊs</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPA_for_English" title="Wikipedia:IPA for English" >/</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPA_for_English" title="Wikipedia:IPA for English" >/</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPA_for_English#Key" title="Wikipedia:IPA for English" >-koʊz</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPA_for_English" title="Wikipedia:IPA for English" >/</a>; C<sub >6</sub>H<sub >12</sub>O<sub >6</sub>, also known as&nbsp;<b><small>D</small>-glucose</b>,&nbsp;<b>dextrose</b>, or&nbsp;<b>grape sugar</b>) is a simple&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar" title="Sugar" >sugar</a>&nbsp;(<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosaccharide" title="Monosaccharide" >monosaccharide</a>) and an important&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbohydrate" title="Carbohydrate" >carbohydrate</a>&nbsp;in&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biology" title="Biology" >biology</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>

<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cell_(biology)" title="Cell (biology)" >Cells</a>&nbsp;use it as the primary source of energy<sup id="cite_ref-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dextrose#cite_note-0" >[1]</a></sup>&nbsp;and a metabolic intermediate.&nbsp;</p>

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Glucose is one of the main products of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photosynthesis" title="Photosynthesis" >photosynthesis</a>&nbsp;and fuels for&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellular_respiration" title="Cellular respiration" >cellular respiration</a>. Glucose exists in several different molecular structures, but all of these structures can be divided into two families of mirror-images (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereoisomer" title="Stereoisomer" class="mw-redirect" >stereoisomers</a>).&nbsp;</p>

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Only one set of these isomers exists in nature, those derived from the "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chirality(chemistry)#By_configuration:D-_and_L-" title="Chirality (chemistry)" >right-handed form</a>" of glucose, denoted&nbsp;<small>D</small>-glucose.&nbsp;<small>D</small>-glucose is sometimes referred to as dextrose, although the use of this name is strongly discouraged.&nbsp;</p>

<p>

The term dextrose is derived from&nbsp;<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dextrorotatory" title="Dextrorotatory" class="mw-redirect" >dextrorotatory</a>&nbsp;glucose</i>.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dextrose#cite_note-1" >[2]</a></sup>This name is therefore confusing when applied to the enantiomer, which rotates light the opposite direction.&nbsp;</p>

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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starch" title="Starch" >Starch</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellulose" title="Cellulose" >cellulose</a>&nbsp;are&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymer" title="Polymer" >polymers</a>&nbsp;derived from the dehydration of&nbsp;<small>D</small>-glucose. The other stereoisomer, called&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L-glucose" title="L-glucose" class="mw-redirect" ><small>L</small>-glucose</a>, is hardly ever found in nature.</p>

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The name "glucose" comes from the&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_language" title="Greek language" >Greek</a>&nbsp;word&nbsp;<i>glukus</i>&nbsp;(γλυκύς), meaning&nbsp;

"sweet", and is the preferred name. The suffix "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/-ose" title="-ose" >-ose</a>" denotes a sugar.</p>