Tetroses

In organic chemistry, a tetrose is a monosaccharide with 4 carbon atoms. They have either an aldehyde () functional group in position 1 (aldotetroses) or a ketone () group in position 2 (ketotetroses). File:DErythrose Fischer.svg | D-Erythrose File:DThreose Fischer.svg | D-Threose File:DErythrulose Fischer.svg | D-Erythrulose

D-Erythrulose (also known as erythrulose) is a tetrose carbohydrate with the chemical formula C4H8O4. It has one ketone group and so is part of the ketose family. It is used in some self-tanning cosmetics, in general, combined with dihydroxyacetone (DHA).

Threitol is the chiral four-carbon sugar alcohol with the molecular formula C4H10O4. It is primarily used as an intermediate in the chemical synthesis of other compounds. It exists in the enantiomorphic forms D-threitol and L-threitol, the reduced forms of D- and L-threose. It is the diastereomer of erythritol, which is used as a sugar substitute.