Illustrated Glossary of Organic Chemistry

Anomeric carbon: In a cyclic carbohydrate, the carbon that was the carbonyl carbon in acyclic form. In the cyclic form, the anomeric carbon can be found next to the oxygen atom in the pyranose or furanose ring, but on the opposite side from the carbon that carries the acyclic CH₂O group (e.g., the CH₂OH group in the example shown here).