Deoxyribose

Deoxyribose

Structural forms of deoxyribose

Deoxyribose is a monosaccharide with the idealized formula H_(C=O)_(CH_)__OH. Its name indicates that it is a deoxy sugar, meaning that it is derived from the sugar ribose by the loss of an oxygen atom. Deoxyribose is most notable for its role in the structure of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), where it alternates with phosphate groups to form the "backbone" of the DNA polymer and binds to nitrogenous bases.

Structure

Deoxyribose is a five-carbon sugar, or pentose, with the chemical formula C_H__O_. It exists in several isomeric forms, including the open-chain form and the ring form. In the ring form, deoxyribose can exist as a furanose, which is a five-membered ring structure. The most common form of deoxyribose in DNA is the _-D-2-deoxyribofuranose.

Biological Role

Deoxyribose is a crucial component of DNA, which is the molecule responsible for storing and transmitting genetic information in all living organisms. In DNA, deoxyribose is linked to a phosphate group and a nitrogenous base to form a nucleotide. These nucleotides are the building blocks of DNA strands. The sequence of nucleotides in DNA encodes the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms and many viruses.

Synthesis

Deoxyribose is synthesized in cells from ribose 5-phosphate, a product of the pentose phosphate pathway. The enzyme ribonucleotide reductase catalyzes the reduction of ribose to deoxyribose, which is then incorporated into DNA.

Related Compounds

Deoxyribose is closely related to ribose, which is the sugar component of ribonucleic acid (RNA). The key difference between ribose and deoxyribose is the presence of a hydroxyl group on the 2' carbon in ribose, which is replaced by a hydrogen atom in deoxyribose.

Related Pages

• Ribose
• DNA
• RNA
• Nucleotide
• Pentose phosphate pathway