Home > Terms > English, UK (UE) > Simple sugar molecule
Simple sugar molecule
Also called glycolaldehyde, the simple sugar molecule is composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen and plays a key role in the chemical reaction that forms ribonucleic acid (RNA), a crucial biomolecule present in all living cells.
Simple sugar molecules are found abundantly on Earth, usually in the form of an odourless white powder with a sweet taste. However, sugar has never been found in outer space until recently. In August 2012, a team of European and American astronomers said they had spotted a simple sugar molecule in a gas cloud surrounding a 10,000-year-old star similar to the sun. The star, called IRAS 16293-2422, is about 400 light years from Earth. Simple sugar molecule or glycolaldehyde are likely formed by radiation from the star hitting even simpler molecules floating through space.
- Part of Speech: noun
- Synonym(s):
- Blossary:
- Industry/Domain: Astronomy
- Category: Planetary science
- Company:
- Product:
- Acronym-Abbreviation:
Other Languages:
Member comments
Terms in the News
Featured Terms
Contributor
Featured blossaries
Browers Terms By Category
- General architecture(562)
- Bridges(147)
- Castles(114)
- Landscape design(94)
- Architecture contemporaine(73)
- Skyscrapers(32)
Architecture(1050) Terms
- General packaging(1147)
- Bag in box(76)
Packaging(1223) Terms
- Conferences(3667)
- Event planning(177)
- Exhibition(1)
Convention(3845) Terms
- Digital Signal Processors (DSP)(1099)
- Test equipment(1007)
- Semiconductor quality(321)
- Silicon wafer(101)
- Components, parts & accessories(10)
- Process equipment(6)
Semiconductors(2548) Terms
- Social media(480)
- Internet(195)
- Search engines(29)
- Online games(22)
- Ecommerce(21)
- SEO(8)