Five-carbon sugars, also known as pentoses, are monosaccharides that play crucial roles in the structure and function of nucleic acids. They form the backbone of RNA and DNA, with ribose and deoxyribose being the most notable examples, respectively.

Five-carbon Sugar

Five-carbon sugars

pentoses

Monosaccharides are the simplest form of carbohydrates and serve as fundamental building blocks for more complex carbohydrates like disaccharides and polysaccharides. They play a crucial role in metabolism, providing energy and serving as precursors for biosynthetic pathways.

monosaccharides

structure and function of nucleic acids

backbone of RNA and DNA

Ribose is a pentose monosaccharide that is essential in the structure of RNA, serving as the backbone to which nitrogenous bases attach. Its presence is crucial for the synthesis of nucleotides and plays a significant role in cellular energy transfer through molecules like ATP and NADH.

ribose

Deoxyribose is a five-carbon sugar molecule that forms the backbone of DNA, where it alternates with phosphate groups to create the sugar-phosphate structure. It differs from ribose by lacking one oxygen atom, which is critical for the stability and structure of DNA compared to RNA.

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