The five-carbon sugar in RNA is called
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
The five-carbon sugar in RNA is called ribose.
Explanation:
Ribose is a pentose (five-carbon) sugar and is a crucial component of ribonucleic acid (RNA). It differs from the sugar in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), which is deoxyribose. The key distinction between ribose and deoxyribose is the presence of an -OH (hydroxyl) group at the 2′ carbon position in ribose, whereas in deoxyribose, this position has only a hydrogen atom.
The structure of ribose is essential for the function of RNA. It serves as the backbone of RNA, linking with phosphate groups to form the structure of the nucleic acid chain. In the context of RNA, ribose connects with nitrogenous bases—adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), or uracil (U)—to form the nucleotides that make up RNA strands. The RNA strand consists of a chain of these nucleotides linked by phosphodiester bonds between the phosphate group of one nucleotide and the hydroxyl group on the 3′ carbon of the ribose in the next nucleotide.
In addition to its structural role, ribose is involved in energy transfer and metabolism. It is a part of several molecules crucial for cell energy, including ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which is used in many biochemical processes, and NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide), which plays a role in oxidation-reduction reactions within the cell.
The role of ribose in RNA is significant in processes such as protein synthesis (transcription and translation) and genetic expression. Since RNA is central to translating genetic information from DNA into proteins, ribose provides the necessary structural stability and functionality for RNA’s biological activities.