Arabinose (thing)

Arabinose : C₅H₁₀O₅

This sugar occurs naturally, as both the left and right hand optical isomer. It is also known as pectin; or gum sugar, as it is found in many vegetable gums, such as gum arabic. Pectin is often added to jams to where it forms a gel, helping the jam to set. It is also used as a bacterial culture medium.
It is a white crystaline solid with a melting point of 159 C.
It can be represented by the following structure :-

         CHO
         |
       H-C-OH
         |
      HO-C-H
         |
      HO-C-H
         |
         CH2OH