deoxiribóz

Deoxiribóz, commonly known as deoxyribose, is a pentose sugar (a monosaccharide containing five carbon atoms) that plays a fundamental role in biology as a key component of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Its chemical formula is C₅H₁₀O₄, distinguishing it from ribose, another pentose sugar, by the absence of an oxygen atom on the 2' carbon position, which gives it its name ("deoxy" meaning "without oxygen").

Deoxyribose is a linear molecule composed of a five-carbon backbone with hydroxyl (OH) groups attached to most carbons, except the 2' position, where a hydrogen atom replaces the hydroxyl group. This structural difference is critical for DNA’s stability and function, as it contributes to the molecule’s resistance to hydrolysis compared to ribose, which is found in ribonucleic acid (RNA).

In DNA, deoxyribose forms a glycosidic bond with nitrogenous bases—adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine—through its 1' carbon. These base-paired nucleotides link via phosphodiester bonds between the 3' and 5' carbons of adjacent deoxyribose units, creating the sugar-phosphate backbone of the DNA double helix. The rigidity and uniformity of this backbone are essential for genetic information storage and replication.

Deoxyribose can be synthesized chemically or isolated from biological sources, though it is not typically found free in nature. Its synthesis involves modifications of ribose, such as reduction of the 2'-keto group to a hydrogen atom. In biochemical research, deoxyribose derivatives are used to study nucleic acid structure and function, as well as in the development of synthetic nucleic acids for medical and biotechnological applications.