What's the difference between ribose and D-ribose? A guide to the isomers
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4 min read
In biochemistry, the word "ribose" describes a five-carbon sugar that exists as a pair of mirror-image isomers, or enantiomers. While the term is often used casually, understanding what's the difference between ribose and D-ribose is key, as only the D-form is biologically active and integral to critical cellular processes.