Pentose

From WikiMD's Food, Medicine & Wellness Encyclopedia

Pentose is a type of monosaccharide that consists of five carbon atoms. Pentoses are important components of many biologically active substances. They are classified into two groups: aldopentoses, which have an aldehyde functional group, and ketopentoses, which have a ketone functional group.

Structure and Classification[edit | edit source]

Pentoses are five-carbon sugars. They can be classified into two main types based on the functional group present: aldopentoses and ketopentoses. Aldopentoses have an aldehyde functional group (-CHO) at the end of the molecule, while ketopentoses have a ketone functional group (=O) within the molecule.

Biological Importance[edit | edit source]

Pentoses are crucial components of many biologically important molecules. For example, ribose and deoxyribose, which are both aldopentoses, are integral parts of RNA and DNA, respectively. Ribose is also a component of ATP, NADH, and several other compounds that are critical to metabolism.

Examples of Pentoses[edit | edit source]

Some examples of pentoses include:

  • Ribose: A component of RNA, ATP, and other biologically important compounds.
  • Deoxyribose: A component of DNA.
  • Xylose: A sugar found in wood and straw.
  • Arabinose: A sugar found in both mono- and di-saccharide forms in nature.
  • Lyxose: A sugar found in bacteria and some plants.

See Also[edit | edit source]

Pentose Resources
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