The sugar found in DNA is deoxyribose, while the sugar found in RNA is ribose. These sugars are crucial components of the nucleic acids that make up DNA and RNA.
Deoxyribose is a five-carbon sugar that lacks one oxygen atom compared to ribose. This difference is what gives DNA its name, as ‘deoxy’ refers to the missing oxygen. Deoxyribose forms the backbone of DNA, connecting the phosphate groups and the nitrogenous bases.
Ribose, on the other hand, is also a five-carbon sugar but contains an additional oxygen atom. This sugar forms the backbone of RNA, similar to how deoxyribose does in DNA. The presence of this extra oxygen in ribose makes RNA more reactive and less stable than DNA.
In summary, deoxyribose is the sugar in DNA, and ribose is the sugar in RNA. These sugars play a vital role in the structure and function of these nucleic acids.