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Fructose
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The truth about high-fructose corn syrup and sugar
Diagram showing how enzymes catalyze reactions: enzymes bind to substrates, form intermediate complexes, and release products. The lower section details specific mechanisms for acetylcholinesterase, sucrose phosphorylase, and maltose phosphorylase, with labeled steps and components.
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Fructose

chemical compound
Also known as: fruit sugar
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The truth about high-fructose corn syrup and sugar
The truth about high-fructose corn syrup and sugarExplaining the chemical differences between high-fructose corn syrup and sugar.
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Fructose, a member of a group of carbohydrates known as simple sugars, or monosaccharides. Fructose, along with glucose, occurs in fruits, honey, and syrups; it also occurs in certain vegetables. It is a component, along with glucose, of the disaccharide sucrose, or common table sugar. Phosphate derivatives of fructose (e.g., fructose-1-phosphate, fructose-1,6-diphosphate) are important in the metabolism of carbohydrates.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Michele Metych.