ribosidit

Ribosides are a class of organic compounds that consist of a ribose sugar molecule bonded to another functional group. Ribose is a five-carbon monosaccharide with the formula C5H10O5. In a riboside, the hydroxyl group at the 1' position of the ribose is replaced by a bond to a nitrogen atom (in nucleosides) or a sulfur atom (in thioglycosides), or oxygen atom (in O-glycosides). The most well-known examples of ribosides are nucleosides, which are fundamental building blocks of nucleic acids like DNA and RNA.

In nucleosides, the ribose sugar is linked to a nitrogenous base, such as adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine, or uracil. When ribose is linked to these bases, it forms ribonucleosides. For instance, adenosine is a riboside formed from ribose and adenine. Deoxyribonucleosides, found in DNA, are similar but contain deoxyribose, a sugar that lacks one oxygen atom compared to ribose.

Ribosides play crucial roles in cellular metabolism and genetic processes. They are essential components of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the primary energy currency of the cell, and also form the backbone of RNA. Modifications of ribosides can lead to various other biologically active molecules with therapeutic potential. The study of ribosides is important in biochemistry, molecular biology, and medicinal chemistry.