Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Ribose
Introduction
Ribose (ɹˈaɪbəʊs[1], ɹˈaɪbəɹʊs[2]), primarily seen as D-ribose, is an aldopentose — a monosaccharide containing five carbon atoms, and including an aldehyde functional group in its linear form. It has the chemical formula Template:Carbon5Template:Hydrogen10Template:Oxygen5, and was discovered in 1905 by Phoebus Levene.
As a component of the RNA that is used for genetic transcription, ribose is critical to living creatures. It is related to deoxyribose, which is a component of DNA. It is also a component of ATP, NADH, and several other chemicals that are critical to metabolism.
Refer to the article on deoxyribose for more information on both sugars, how they relate to each other, and how they relate to genetic material.
Isomerism
Isomerism
D-Ribose has the same configuration at its penultimate carbon atom as D-glyceraldehyde.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]