Ribose



Ribose, primarily seen as  D -ribose, is an aldopentose &mdash; a monosaccharide containing five carbon atoms, and including an aldehyde functional group in its linear form. It has the chemical formula 5105, 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
D -Ribose has the same configuration at its penultimate carbon atom as D -glyceraldehyde.