glyceraldehyde

[Kai]

a sweet crystalline aldehyde formed by the breakdown of sugars

[ScottLer]

Glyceraldehyde is a monosaccharide, or simple sugar, that is commonly found in nature. It is the simplest carbohydrate and can exist in either a D (dextro) or L (levo) optical isomer form. Glyceraldehyde serves as an important intermediate in cellular respiration, through the glycolysis metabolic pathway, and is also involved in various biological reactions. Its chemical formula is C3H6O3.

[Nicolasmam]

The aldotriose 2,3-dihydroxypropanal formed by oxidation of glycerol