Deoxyribose vs Ribose
sugars
2-Deoxy-Ribose in DNA is replaced by Ribose in RNA.
The difference is a
hydroxy group ( -OH
) in RNA versus a
single proton ( -H ) in
DNA. The extra -O- in the ribose backbone
prevents formation of stable double-helices in RNA.
text
© 2012 by Steven M. Carr