Trioses

Glyceraldehyde (glyceral) is a triose monosaccharide with chemical formula C3H6O3. It is the simplest of all common aldoses. It is a sweet, colorless, crystalline solid that is an intermediate compound in carbohydrate metabolism. The word comes from combining glycerol and aldehyde, as glyceraldehyde is glycerol with one alcohol group oxidized to an aldehyde.

Dihydroxyacetone (; DHA), also known as glycerone, is a simple saccharide (a triose) with formula .

150px|thumb|Glyceraldehyde|D-Glyceraldehyde is an aldotriose because the [[carbonyl group is at the end of the chain]] 150px|thumb|Dihydroxyacetone is a ketotriose because the carbonyl group is the center of the chain.