Question #69971
1 Answer
Dextrose is one of the stereoisomers of glucose.
The two terms are used interchangeably.
Explanation:
Glucose is a carbohydrate. It contains carbon, hydrogen and oxygen and its formula is
There are two stereoisomers in glucose. A stereoisomer has molecules with the same formula that exist in different spacial arrangements. Its a molecule with a twist.
In glucose the stereoisomers are L-glucose and D-glucose. We cannot break down L-glucose in our cells, so it is removed from our bodies as waste. D-glucose can be used by our cells, and it is the D-glucose to which Dextrose refers.
dextrose [dek´strōs]
- older chemical name for d-glucose (see glucose below); the term dextrose continues to be used to refer to glucose solutions administered intravenously for fluid or nutrient replacement.
- Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health, Seventh Edition. © 2003 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.
glu·cose (glū'kōs)
- A dextrorotatory monosaccharide found in a free form in fruits and other parts of plants, and in combination in glucosides, glycogen, disaccharides, and polysaccharides (starch cellulose); the chief source of energy in human metabolism, the final product of carbohydrate digestion, and the principal sugar of the blood; insulin is required for the use of glucose by cells; in diabetes mellitus, the level of glucose in the blood is excessive, and it also appears in the urine.
Synonym(s): d-glucose.
- Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing © Farlex 2012
The full discussion on medical uses of dextrose can be found here:
http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/dextrose
A discussion on the optical rotation of linearly polarized light as it travels through solutions of chiral molecules such as sucrose (sugar) molecules can be found here:
http://www.chemeurope.com/en/encyclopedia/Optical_rotation.html
