xylose

[ zahy-lohs ]

noun

, Chemistry.

1. a colorless, crystalline pentose sugar, C 5 H 10 O 5 , derived from xylan, straw, corncobs, etc., by treating with heated dilute sulfuric acid, and dehydrating to furfural if stronger acid is used.

xylose

/ ˈzaɪləʊz; -ləʊs /

noun

1. a white crystalline dextrorotatory sugar found in the form of xylan in wood and straw. It is extracted by hydrolysis with acids and used in dyeing, tanning, and in foods for diabetics. Formula: C 5 H 10 O 5

xylose

/ zī′lōs′ /

1. A white crystalline sugar extracted from wood, straw, and corn. It is used in dyeing and tanning and as a substitute for sucrose in diabetic diets. Chemical formula: C 5 H 10 O 5 .

Word History and Origins

Origin of xylose¹

1890–95; < Greek xýl ( on ) wood + -ose ²

Example Sentences

Glucose and xylose are the two most abundant sugars obtained from the breakdown of plant biomass such as agricultural wastes.

From Science Daily

The team started with basically a starvation diet of xylose, a sugar, along with formate and CO2.

From Science Magazine

Perhaps this means that xylose isomerase decreases the availability of a glucose substrate needed for the synthesis of trehalose.

From Nature

One of the biggest challenges in breaking down biomass into useful chemicals suitable for making biofuels is finding ways to selectively depolymerise lignocellulosic biomass into its monomers: glucose, xylose and lignin.

From Scientific American

One chemical that is produced when processing biowastes is a large sugar molecule called xylose.

From BBC

Related Words

• carbohydrate