Principles of Biochemistry

Epimers are diastereoisomers whose molecules differ only in the configuration at one chiral center. Isomers differing as a result of variations in configuration of the -OH and -H on carbon atoms 2, 3 and 4 glucose are known as epimers of glucose. The most important epimers of glucose are mannose and galactose, formed by epimerization at carbons 2 and 4, respectively.