Final answer:
Ribose and deoxyribose are monosaccharides and pentoses, which are five-carbon sugars important for the structure of nucleic acids like DNA and RNA.
Step-by-step explanation:
Because they are monosaccharides containing 5 carbons, ribose and deoxyribose are pentoses. Ribose and deoxyribose are two pentoses that are essential components of nucleic acids; ribose is found in RNA, and deoxyribose is a component of DNA. Both are D-sugars and exist in a cyclical five-membered ring form, with ribose having a hydroxyl (-OH) group attached to the second carbon (2') and deoxyribose lacking this hydroxyl group at the same position.
Their structure consists of a ring with the hydroxyl group at the anomeric carbon (C#1') in a Β configuration. These sugars play a critical role in the structure and function of nucleic acids, with the 5-carbon backbone providing the necessary stability to the molecule's phosphate-sugar backbone.