Arrange the following sugars from most sweet to least sweet: fructose, sucrose, glucose, lactose.

Arrange the following sugars from most sweet to least sweet: fructose, sucrose, glucose, lactose.

• A. Glucose > Fructose > Sucrose > Lactose
• B. Fructose > Glucose > Sucrose > Lactose
• C. Sucrose > Fructose > Glucose > Lactose
• D. Fructose > Sucrose > Glucose > Lactose

Answer: (D)

Sweetness perception depends on how the sugar molecule interacts with our taste receptors. Among common dietary sugars, fructose is the most potent at triggering the sweetness receptors, so it ranks highest. Sucrose is very sweet as well and serves as the standard reference for sweetness, placing it next. Glucose is noticeably less sweet than sucrose, and lactose is the least sweet of these four due to its structure and lower receptor interaction. Therefore, the order from most to least sweet is fructose, sucrose, glucose, lactose.

Sweetness perception depends on how the sugar molecule interacts with our taste receptors. Among common dietary sugars, fructose is the most potent at triggering the sweetness receptors, so it ranks highest. Sucrose is very sweet as well and serves as the standard reference for sweetness, placing it next. Glucose is noticeably less sweet than sucrose, and lactose is the least sweet of these four due to its structure and lower receptor interaction. Therefore, the order from most to least sweet is fructose, sucrose, glucose, lactose.