What type of sugar is found in RNA?

Ribose is the sugar component of RNA (ribonucleic acid). In RNA, ribose serves as the backbone to which nitrogenous bases (adenine, guanine, cytosine, and uracil) are attached, creating the structure necessary for its role in coding, decoding, regulation, and expression of genes.

Unlike glucose and fructose, which are more commonly found in various energy metabolism processes, ribose specifically plays a critical role in the formation of RNA. Deoxyribose, on the other hand, is found in DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), making it distinct from ribose as well. Understanding the unique functions and structures of these sugars is vital in grasping the differences between RNA and DNA and their respective roles in biology.