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Definition

noun

(1) A chemical compound that serves as an intermediate in several central metabolic pathways in all organisms.

(2) A phosphate ester of the 3-carbon sugar glyceraldehyde and has chemical formula: C₃H₇O₆P.

(3) A compound derived from PGA during the dark reactions of photosynthesis.

Supplement

This compound is an intermediate of photosynthesis and of glycolysis and gluconeogenesis. It also is a byproduct in the biosynthesis pathway of tryptophan, an essential amino acid. It also occurs as a reactant in the biosynthesis pathway of thiamine (Vitamin B1), another substance that cannot be produced by the human body.

Acronym: PGAL.
Synonym: glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate (G3P or GAP), triose phosphate, 3-phosphoglyceraldehyde (GADP).
See also: glycolysis.