A five-carbon sugar that is a key component of DNA; it's like ribose but with one fewer oxygen atom.
From deoxy- (lacking oxygen) + ribose (a five-carbon sugar). Ribose comes from Arabic ribaha (a substance that makes fermented drinks). Deoxy means having one less oxygen.
The shape of the deoxyribose sugar is actually crucial to DNA's double helix structure—scientists realized this wasn't just any sugar, but one specifically designed by evolution to twist into that iconic spiral shape!
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