The simplest monosaccharide with three carbon atoms, composed of two carbon chains with aldehyde and alcohol functional groups.
From 'glycol' (a two-carbon compound with hydroxyl groups) + 'aldehyde' (an organic compound with a carbon-hydrogen-oxygen group). The name reflects its chemical structure as a hybrid of these functional groups.
Glycolaldehyde is cosmic sugar—astronomers have actually detected it in interstellar space and in meteorites, suggesting that the building blocks of life itself might have arrived on Earth from outer space!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.