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Lribose

L-ribose is the enantiomer of the sugar ribose, one of the five-carbon sugars (pentose) that exist in a D- and an L- form. Its chemical formula is the same as that of ribose, C5H10O5, but its configuration is the mirror image of the biologically common D-ribose. Like ribose, L-ribose can adopt cyclic forms, including ribofuranose and ribopyranose, in solution.

In nature, D-ribose is the form used in RNA and various metabolic pathways. L-ribose, by contrast, is

Physically, L-ribose shares many properties with D-ribose, such as being a white, crystalline solid that dissolves

not
typically
produced
or
utilized
by
most
living
organisms
and
is
not
a
standard
substrate
in
human
energy
production
or
nucleotide
biosynthesis.
It
is
primarily
encountered
in
research
and
synthetic
contexts,
where
it
serves
as
a
chiral
building
block
for
the
preparation
of
L-nucleosides
and
other
optically
active
compounds.
Because
of
its
mirror-image
configuration,
L-ribose
provides
a
useful
reference
in
carbohydrate
chemistry
and
enantioselective
synthesis,
and
it
can
be
employed
in
methods
that
differentiate
between
enantiomers.
in
water
and
forms
various
cyclic
forms
in
solution.
Its
exact
solubility,
crystallinity,
and
reactivity
are
mirror-imaged
relative
to
the
D
enantiomer.
Overall,
L-ribose
is
mainly
of
interest
for
chemical
synthesis
and
analytical
contexts
rather
than
as
a
component
of
standard
biological
metabolism.