Alpha Glucose Fischer Projection

In figure 3 the structure on the. Whats the difference between alpha and beta glucose.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrate Representations

L Or D Sugar From Ring Student Doctor Network

If you look at the hydroxyl group just right of the oxygen in the ring you can see that the alpha form points in the opposite direction of the long tail while the beta form points in the same direction as the long tail.