Where Is Ribose Found in Living Organisms?

Ribose is a simple sugar found in many molecules associated with the biochemical and genetic processes of almost all organisms. It is a key structural component of ribonucleic acid (RNA) and crucial in the daily metabolic and reproductive cellular operations observed in a variety of life forms.

Structure

• Ribose is a monosaccharide composed of a five-carbon backbone with an aldehyde functional group on one terminal end. Hydroxyl groups are oriented in the same direction down each successive carbon on the backbone of the molecule.

Function in Genetics

• Ribose is the sugar component that forms the genetic material RNA, the key intermediate used in DNA replication and protein synthesis during reproduction and development.

Metabolism

• Ribose can also be integrated into many of the molecules necessary for ATP formation in glycolysis and cellular respiration. These molecules include nicotinamide adednine dinucleotide and flavin adenine dinucleotide which are important electron transfer intermediates that ultimately provide energy for an organism.

Viruses

• Ribose can be found in infectious organisms such as viruses. It provides the structural component of the RNA of some viruses that is used for viral proliferation and infection.

Evolutionary Impact

• One of the prevailing evolutionary theories of the emergence of life on Earth involves the formation of primitive RNA molecules from early ribose sugars, nucleic acids and phosphates.