What is the relationship between the number of stereocenters in a monosaccharide in its open-chain and ring structures?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When a monosaccharide forms a ring structure, the carbonyl group (C=O) reacts with a hydroxyl group (OH) on another carbon, forming a hemiacetal or hemiketal linkage. This results in the formation of a new stereocenter, called the anomeric center. In most cases, the configuration of the anomeric center is not specified and can be either alpha (downward) or beta (upward). Therefore, the ring structure adds one stereocenter to the molecule compared to its open-chain form, which has no anomeric center. Hence, the open-chain form contains one less stereocenter than does the ring.

What Is the Relationship Between the Number of Stereocenters in a Monosaccharide