Anomer

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In carbohydrate chemistry, a pair of anomers (from Greek ἄνω 'up, above', and μέρος 'part') is a pair of near-identical stereoisomers or diastereomers that differ at only the anomeric carbon, the carbon atom that bears the aldehyde or ketone functional group in the sugar's open-chain form. However, in order for anomers to exist, the sugar must be in its cyclic form, since in open-chain form, the anomeric carbon atom is planar and thus achiral. More formally stated, then, an anomer is an epimer at the hemiacetal/hemiketal carbon atom in a cyclic saccharide.^[1] Anomerization is the process of conversion of one anomer to the other. As is typical for stereoisomeric compounds, different anomers have different physical properties, melting points and specific rotations.