1. A simple sugar (monosaccharide) containing five carbon atoms.
Usage: chemistry; biochemistry

Examples

• Ribose is a pentose that plays a crucial role in RNA structure.
• Deoxyribose, another pentose, is found in DNA molecules.
• The pentose phosphate pathway is an important metabolic route in cells.
• Glucose is a hexose, not a pentose, because it has six carbon atoms.
• Arabinose and xylose are examples of pentoses used in various biological processes.
• Pentoses are essential building blocks for nucleic acids.