| Another difference between DNA and RNA is that RNA contains ribose, rather than deoxyribose. |
| The enzymes catalyzing the initial step are glycosylases, which cleave the glycosidic bond between the base and its deoxyribose. |
| The backbone of both strands in the double helix is a chain of linked phosphate and deoxyribose molecules. |
| A nucleotide is a combination of a ribose or deoxyribose sugar, a purine or pyrimidine base, and a phosphate group. |
| Sugars are vital components of life, e.g. the 5-carbon sugars ribose and deoxyribose are part of the skeletons of our information storage molecules, RNA and DNA respectively. |
| If you visualize DNA as a ladder, the sides of the ladder are made of the phosphate and deoxyribose molecules, and the rungs are made of two different nitrogen bases. |
