Determine the total number of chiral carbon atoms present in the cyclic -D-glucopyranose molecule. — Biomolecules Chemistry Question

💡 Solution & Explanation

While open-chain glucose has 4 chiral centers, cyclization converts the planar C-1 carbonyl carbon into a new stereocenter (the anomeric carbon). Thus, cyclic $\alpha$ -D-glucopyranose has 5 chiral carbons.