[Campbell Biology P.134] Based on Figure 5.23c and the accompanying text, what is the primar... | Practice Question

Based on Figure 5.23c and the accompanying text, what is the primary structural difference between deoxyribose and ribose?

  • A: Deoxyribose has an extra hydroxyl group at the 2' carbon compared to ribose.
  • B: Ribose has a hydrogen atom at the 2' carbon, while deoxyribose has a hydroxyl group.
  • C: Deoxyribose lacks an oxygen atom at the 2' carbon that is present in ribose.
  • D: Ribose has an extra carbon atom in its ring structure compared to deoxyribose.

Explanation

The text explicitly states that 'The only difference between these two sugars is that deoxyribose lacks an oxygen atom on the second carbon in the ring, hence the name deoxyribose.' Figure 5.23c also visually confirms this, showing a hydroxyl group -OH at the 2' carbon of ribose and only a hydrogen atom -H at the 2' carbon of deoxyribose.