Which Elements Make Up the Compound Glucose?

Glucose is a simple sugar, known as a monosaccharide, which is an important energy source in cell biology. Glucose is a product of photosynthesis in plants that provides flavor and energy in plant foods. Glucose is the main energy source used in the human ATP-ADP energy cycle.

Carbon

Glucose is an organic compound, meaning it is based around the chemistry of carbon. Glucose has six carbon atoms per molecule. These carbons are arranged in a jagged chain and are the resting points of all other elemental constituents.

Oxygen

Oxygen comprises the second elemental constituent of Glucose. Oxygen bonds are located at all but one of the Carbon atoms. There are six elemental oxygen atoms per glucose molecule and all serve as a resting place for the remaining element in glucose.

Hydrogen

There are twelve Hydrogen atoms per glucose molecule. These hydrogen atoms connect in all places to the glucose molecule where valance electrons are missing. This fills the electrical balance of the molecule and maintains its stability. Though there are equal portions of all other elements combined when compared to hydrogen the relatively minuscule mass of the element makes it a minor part of the molecule.

References

• Glucose molecular definition
• Biotopics: Structure of Glucose (first on the page)
• World of Molecules: Glucose