Deoksiribonükleozitin

Deoksiribonükleozitin, often shortened to deoxyribonucleoside, is a type of nucleoside composed of a deoxyribose sugar and a nitrogenous base. Deoxyribose is a five-carbon sugar that is a component of DNA. The nitrogenous bases found in deoxyribonucleosides are adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), and thymine (T). These bases are attached to the 1' carbon of the deoxyribose sugar.

Deoxyribonucleosides are the building blocks of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). When deoxyribonucleosides are linked together in a chain, they form a DNA molecule. The sequence of these bases along the DNA chain carries the genetic information of an organism. Specifically, a deoxyribonucleoside with a phosphate group attached is called a deoxyribonucleotide, and it is these deoxyribonucleotides that polymerize to form DNA.

The key difference between a deoxyribonucleoside and a ribonucleoside (a component of RNA) lies in the sugar molecule. Ribonucleosides contain ribose sugar, which has a hydroxyl group at the 2' carbon, whereas deoxyribose sugar has a hydrogen atom at the same position. This seemingly small difference has significant implications for the stability and function of nucleic acids. DNA, with its deoxyribose sugar, is more stable than RNA, making it suitable for long-term storage of genetic information.