The carbon in position 1 is named anomeric and alpha and beta forms are said anomers.

After the formation of the cycle the carbon in position 1 becomes asymmetric and the OH group can be below the plane of the ring (alpha-form) or above the plane of the ring (beta-form). The cycle is planar and should be imagined to be perpendicular to the screen with the bolded line being the closest to the observeur. Taking as an example glucopyranose we illustrate the main feature of the formula. The cyclic structures given above for glucose and fructose are known as projections of Haworth. The cycle for its resemblance with furan is named fructofuranose. In the case of fructose the the hydroxyl group in position 5 reacts with the ketonic group to give an intramolekular hemiketals. The cycle for its resemblance with pyran is named glucopyranose. In solution, the predominant structure of glucose is a cycle arising from the reaction of the hydroxyl group in position 5 with the aldehydic group (an intramolecular hemiacetals). Also in this case the prefix D refers to the configuration of the asymmetric carbon atom farthermost from the aldehydic or ketonic group. Two common hexoses (6 carbon atoms) are D-glucose and D-fructose. Two common tetrose are D-erytrose and D-threose, the prefix D means that the configuration of the asymmetric carbon atom farthermost from the aldehydic or ketonic group is the same as D-glyceraldehyde. Glyceraldehyde has an asymmetric carbon atom and thus two steroisomers (D-Glyceraldehyde and L-Glyceraldehyde) exist. The most simple carbohydrates are glyceraldehyde and dihydroxyacetone. They are generally indicated, depending on the number of carbon atoms, as thrioses, tetroses, pentoses, hexoses, etc. Monosaccharides is a general term indicating polyhydroxyaldehydes (aldoses) and polyhydroxyketones (ketoses) with at least two hydroxyl groups.

Galactose anomeric carbon