Glucose is by far the most common carbohydrate. The name "glucose" comes from the Greek word glukus, meaning "sweet", and the suffix "-ose," which denotes a sugar. It is also known as dextrose, because it is dextrorotatory, meaning that as an optical isomer is rotates plane polarized light to the right and also an origin for the D designation.

Mean normal blood glucose levels in humans are about 90 mg/dl, Glucose levels rise after meals for an hour or two by a few grams and are usually lowest in the morning, before the first meal of the day. Transported via the bloodstream from the intestines or liver to body cells, glucose is the primary source of energy for body's cells, fats and oils (ie, lipids) being primarily a compact energy store.

Failure to maintain blood glucose in the normal range leads to conditions of persistently high (hyperglycemia) or low (hypoglycemia) blood sugar. Diabetes mellitus, characterized by persistent hyperglycemia from any of several causes, is the most prominent disease related to failure of blood sugar regulation.

A glucose tolerance test in medical practice is the administration of glucose to determine how quickly it is cleared from the blood. The test is usually used to test for diabetes, insulin resistance, and sometimes reactive hypoglycemia. The glucose is most often given orally so the common test is technically an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). The test may be performed as part of a panel of tests, such as the comprehensive metabolic panel.

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