ribose

American  

[rahy-bohs] / ˈraɪ boʊs /

noun

Biochemistry.

1. a white, crystalline, water-soluble, slightly sweet solid, C 5 H 1 0 O 5 , a pentose sugar obtained by the hydrolysis of RNA.

---

ribose British  

/ ˈraɪbəʊz, -bəʊs /

noun

1. biochem a pentose sugar that is an isomeric form of arabinose and that occurs in RNA and riboflavin. Formula: CH 2 OH(CHOH) 3 CHO

---

ribose Scientific  

/ rī′bōs′ /

1. A pentose sugar with a furanose structure that occurs as a component of riboflavin and RNA. Chemical formula: C ₅ H ₁₀ O ₅ .

---

Etymology

Origin of ribose

1890–95; < German Ribose, earlier Ribonsäure, equivalent to Ribon (from Arabinose arabinose, by arbitrary rearrangement and shortening) + Säure acid

Compare meaning

How does ribose compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• ribose vs. deoxyribose

Example Sentences

With a molecular formula of C17H24O7, the compound was found to feature a distinctive ribose moiety, identified as α-ribofuranoside through stereochemical analysis.

From Science Daily • Mar. 11, 2024

Glavin’s team will also search for even more complex organic molecules, such as peptides—short segments of proteins—and sugars, like ribose, that are used by life.

From Science Magazine • Sep. 24, 2023

The ATP molecule consists of a ribose sugar and an adenine base with three phosphates attached.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

The sugars ribose and deoxyribose are components of the backbones of RNA and DNA, respectively.

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

A compound of adenine, ribose, and phosphoric acid was found in yeast, blood, and in skeletal muscle of mammals.

From History of Phosphorus by Farber, Eduard