A tetrose is a monosaccharide with 4 carbon atoms.

They either have an aldehyde functional group in position 1 (aldotetroses) or a ketone functional group in position 2 (ketotetroses).

The aldotetroses have two chiral centres ("asymmetric carbon atoms") and so 4 different stereoisomers are possible.

The naturally occurring aldotetroses are:

• D-Erythrose
• D-Threose

The only naturally occurring ketotetrose is D-Erythrulose.

See also

• triose, pentose, hexose
• monosaccharide, disaccharide