Ribose (C₅H₁₀O₅) is a pentose or five-carbon sugar, the dextrorotatory form of which is of great biological importance as it occurs in the nucleotides of ribonucleic acid (RNA) and several coenzymes. Ribose is also involved in intracellular metabolism. It is an isometric form of arabinose.

 

 

Deoxyribose

Deoxyribose is a ring-structured pentose sugar derived from ribose. Deoxyribose (2-deoxyribose) is the sugar found in DNA.