arabinose: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Technical/Scientific
Quick answer
What does “arabinose” mean?
A pentose sugar (C5H10O5), an aldose, found naturally in plant gums and pectins.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A pentose sugar (C5H10O5), an aldose, found naturally in plant gums and pectins.
A monosaccharide important in biochemistry and microbiology, often used as a carbon source in bacterial growth media and as a component of glycoproteins and glycolipids.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical or usage differences. Spelling is identical. Pronunciations may show minor vowel quality variation.
Connotations
None beyond the technical meaning.
Frequency
Equally rare in general discourse, equally common in specialised biochemical contexts in both regions.
Grammar
How to Use “arabinose” in a Sentence
[Compound: arabinose + noun (e.g., operon, pathway)][Verb + arabinose: metabolise, utilise, ferment, phosphorylate arabinose]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “arabinose” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- The arabinose catabolic pathway was analysed.
- They used an arabinose-inducible promoter system.
American English
- The arabinose metabolic pathway was analyzed.
- They used an arabinose-inducible promoter system.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used, except potentially in highly specialised biotech or pharmaceutical R&D contexts.
Academic
Used in biochemistry, molecular biology, microbiology, and food science research papers and textbooks.
Everyday
Never used in everyday conversation.
Technical
Core technical term in life sciences. Common in laboratory protocols, bacterial genetics (e.g., pBAD vectors), and carbohydrate chemistry.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “arabinose”
Neutral
Weak
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “arabinose”
- Misspelling as 'arabinos', 'arabinoise', or 'arabinnose'.
- Confusing it with other -ose sugars like ribose or xylose without contextual clues.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Both are sugars, but glucose is a hexose (6-carbon sugar), while arabinose is a pentose (5-carbon sugar). Their chemical structures and metabolic pathways differ.
The arabinose operon (ara operon) in bacteria is a well-studied model of gene regulation. The araBAD promoter is widely used in biotechnology to control the expression of cloned genes by adding or withholding arabinose from the growth medium.
Humans lack the specific enzymes to metabolise L-arabinose as an energy source. It is considered a non-digestible sugar and can have prebiotic effects, feeding beneficial gut bacteria.
Arabinose is a component of hemicellulose and pectin in plant cell walls. It is particularly abundant in gum arabic, cherry gums, and the cell walls of some fruits and grains.
A pentose sugar (C5H10O5), an aldose, found naturally in plant gums and pectins.
Arabinose is usually technical/scientific in register.
Arabinose: in British English it is pronounced /əˈræbɪnəʊz/, and in American English it is pronounced /əˈræbɪnoʊz/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think 'Arabia' + '-ose' (sugar): Named after gum arabic, which comes from Acacia trees in regions like Arabia and is a source of this sugar.
Conceptual Metaphor
N/A (High-specificity technical term resists metaphorical extension).
Practice
Quiz
Arabinose is primarily classified as a: