galactosamine [gə‚lak′tō·sə‚mēn]
Galactosamine
(biochemistry)
C6H14O5N A crystalline amino acid derivative of galactose; found in bacterial cell walls.
Galactosamine
(also chondrosamine, 2-amino-2-deoxygalactose), an amino sugar; first isolated from cartilaginous tissue. A strong base, readily soluble in water, and optically active.
An important derivative of glactosamine is N-acetyl-galactosamine, which is present as a repeating unit in chondroitin; N-acetylgalactosamine sulfate is present in chondroitin sulfates and keratosulfate. Along with glucosamine, galactosamine is a structural element in the polysaccharide of group-specific mucoids in humans and animals and also as part of the specific polysaccharide of pneumococci.
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