Difference Between Deoxyribose And Ribose

Difference Between Deoxyribose And Ribose: Deoxyribose and Ribose are monosaccharides. The structure of Ribose and deoxyribose are very much similar, having only one difference. Ribose sugar has a hydroxyl group on 2nd carbon whereas deoxyribose sugar has a hydrogen atom on 2nd carbon. Also, deoxyribose is a constituent of DNA whereas ribose sugar is a constituent of RNA. Furthermore, there are differences based on the IUPAC name, molar mass, chemical formula, etc.

Difference Between Deoxyribose and Ribose

Feature	Deoxyribose	Ribose
Chemical Formula	C5H10​O4	C5​H10​O5
Molar Mass	134.13 g/mol	150.13 g/mol
Discoverers	Phoebus Levene (1929)	Emil Fischer and Oskar Piloty (1891)
IUPAC Name	2-deoxy-D-ribose	(2S,3R,4S,5R)-5-(hydroxymethyl) oxolane-2,3,4-triol
Other Names	2-deoxy-D-erythro-pentose	D-Ribose
Found in	DNA	RNA
Biological Importance	Helps in the inheritance of characters and is associated with the long-term storage and transmission of genetic information.	Responsible for the transcription of DNA and is associated with the temporary transfer and interpretation of genetic information.
Stability and Reactivity	More stable and less reactive due to the absence of oxygen	Less stable and more reactive due to the presence of oxygen

Deoxyribose and Ribose sugars are pentose sugar which means that they are made up of five carbons. They also contain Aldehyde as a functional group and thus, they are known as Aldopentoses. They react with nitrogenous bases to form nucleosides, which on phosphorylation form nucleotides. The nucleotides are the building blocks of nucleic acids because nucleic acids are polynucleotide chains.

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), which is the genetic material of all living organisms, and Ribonucleic acid (RNA) are formed by deoxyribose and ribose sugars respectively. They are of great biological importance because they help in the expression and inheritance of characters from parents to offspring during the reproduction process. DNA gets transcribed to form RNA which is further translated to form proteins. And this way, genes get expressed using DNA and RNA which are formed by Deoxyribose and Ribose sugars.

What is Deoxyribose?

Deoxyribose is an aldopentose sugar whose chemical formula is C₅H₁₀O₄. Its molar mass is 134.13 g/mol. It was discovered in 1929 by Phoebus Levene. IUPAC’s name of Deoxyribose sugar is 2-deoxy-D-ribose. It is also known as 2-deoxy-D-erythro-pentose. It contains a hydrogen (H) atom at 2nd carbon. This sugar is found in DNA and is thus of great biological importance by helping in the inheritance of characters. It is associated with the long-term storage and transmission of genetic information. Deoxyribose is more stable and less reactive due to the absence of oxygen.

What is Ribose?

Ribose is an aldopentose sugar whose chemical formula is C₅H₁₀O₅. Its molar mass is 150.13 g/mol. It was discovered in 1891 by Emil Fischer and Oskar Piloty. IUPAC name of Ribose is (2S,3R,4S,5R)-5-(hydroxymethyl) oxolane-2,3,4-triol. It is also known as D-Ribose. It contains a hydroxyl (OH) group at 2nd carbon. This sugar is found in RNA. RNA is responsible for the transcription of DNA. It is associated with the temporary transfer and interpretation of genetic information. Ribose is less stable and more reactive due to the presence of oxygen.

FAQs on Deoxyribose and Ribose

Q1: What is the main difference between Deoxyribose and Ribose?

Answer:

The main difference between Deoxyribose and Ribose is the presence of a hydroxyl group and a hydrogen atom on the 2nd carbon, respectively. Deoxyribose is found in DNA, and Ribose is found in RNA.

Q2: What are the similarities between Deoxyribose and Ribose?

Answer:

Deoxyribose and Ribose are both monosaccharides and aldopentose sugars. They are structurally similar, with difference in the presence of a hydroxyl group and hydrogen atom on the 2nd carbon of Deoxyribose and Ribose respectively.

Q3: What are the biological roles of Deoxyribose and Ribose?

Answer:

Deoxyribose and Ribose play important roles in nucleic acid molecules. Deoxyribose is a component of DNA, the genetic material responsible for inheritance. Ribose is found in RNA, which is involved in the transcription of DNA.

Q4: Who discovered Deoxyribose and Ribose?

Answer:

Deoxyribose was discovered in 1929 by Phoebus Levene, while Ribose was discovered in 1891 by Emil Fischer and Oskar Piloty.

Q5: What are the chemical formulas and molar masses of Deoxyribose and Ribose?

Answer:

Deoxyribose has a chemical formula of C₅H₁₀O₄ and a molar mass of 134.13 g/mol. Ribose has a chemical formula of C₅H₁₀O₅ and a molar mass of 150.13 g/mol.