Definition

A type of simple sugar that has four carbon atoms in its structure.

Example

Tetrose is a rare sugar that can be found in some plants.

Conversation

I was reading about different types of sugars and came across tetrose yesterday.

Oh really? What’s special about tetrose?

It's a monosaccharide with only four carbon atoms in its chain.

That’s interesting! I didn’t know there were so many types of sugars.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Tetrose is formed from "tetra-" (meaning four) and "-ose" (a suffix used in chemistry to denote sugars). The word refers to a type of sugar that contains four carbon atoms.

Memory Tip

Think of 'tetra-' meaning four, and remember that 'tetrose' is a sugar with four carbon atoms.

Visually Confused Words