A ketose is a type of simple sugar (monosaccharide) that contains a ketone group in its carbon chain. Unlike aldoses, which have an aldehyde group, ketoses have the carbonyl group located at any other position than the end of the molecule.
The simplest form of carbohydrates that cannot be hydrolyzed to give simpler sugars; they are the building blocks for more complex carbohydrates.
Carbonyl Group: A functional group composed of a carbon atom double-bonded to an oxygen atom (C=O) found in aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, and esters.