1. A compound formed by the reaction of galactose with an alcohol or another organic compound, in which the anomeric carbon of galactose is bonded to a non-sugar molecule.
Usage: biochemistry; technical

Examples

• Lactose is a disaccharide composed of glucose and galactose, but galactosides are formed when galactose bonds with non-sugar compounds.
• The enzyme β-galactosidase catalyzes the hydrolysis of galactosides into galactose and an aglycone.
• Researchers studied various galactosides to understand how cells recognize and process different sugar molecules.
• Phenyl galactoside is commonly used as a substrate in laboratory assays to measure galactosidase activity.