描述
Glycolaldehyde, also known as hydroxyacetaldehyde or methylol formaldehyde, is a member of the class of compounds known as short-chain aldehydes. Short-chain aldehydes are an aldehyde with a chain length containing between 2 and 5 carbon atoms. Glycolaldehyde is soluble (in water) and a very weakly acidic compound (based on its pKa). Glycolaldehyde can be found in a number of food items such as acorn, elderberry, dandelion, and conch, which makes glycolaldehyde a potential biomarker for the consumption of these food products. Glycolaldehyde can be found primarily in human neuron tissue. Glycolaldehyde exists in all living organisms, ranging from bacteria to humans. In humans, glycolaldehyde is involved in the vitamin B6 metabolism. Glycolaldehyde is also involved in hypophosphatasia, which is a metabolic disorder. Glycolaldehyde is the organic compound with the formula HOCH2-CHO. It is the smallest possible molecule that contains both an aldehyde group and a hydroxyl group. It is a highly reactive molecule that occurs both in the biosphere and in the interstellar medium. It is normally supplied as a white solid. Although it conforms to the general formula for carbohydrates, Cn(H2O)n, it is not generally considered to be a saccharide .