Copper chloride and glucose, polarised light micrograph. Glucose is a member of the sugar family which itself is part of a larger family called carbohydrates. Sugars are simple carbohydrates, containing a 3-6 carbon atoms with hydroxyl groups. The arrangement of hydroxyls along the carbon chain dictate the type of sugar it is. Table sugar is sucrose which is made up of two sugars, glucose and fructose. Glucose is the most abundant sugar. It has 6 carbon atoms and can take on several different forms. Glucose is life's primary energy source where energy is extracted from it through metabolism with excretion of carbon dioxide and water. Magnification: x70 when printed 10cm wide.