Ribulose

Ribulose is a so-called derivative of ribose, the two should not be confused with each other. Ribulose has the same molecular formula and therefore the same number of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms as ribose, but they have a different composition and therefore give the two substances completely different chemical properties. Ribulose is also a monosaccharide, i.e. a simple sugar.

It has a so-called keto group and five carbon atoms, so it belongs to the ketoses as well as to the pentoses. Ribulose can be found in all plants, it is produced there from the plant metabolism. In addition, it occurs as an intermediate product of the metabolism of bacteria.

In plants, ribulose plays a major role in the so-called Calvin cycle, in which glucose is formed from carbon dioxide (CO2) with the help of ATP (energy carrier of the cells) and NADPH (enzyme for cell metabolism). The plant can then use this sugar as an energy supplier. Another biochemical process in which ribulose is involved is the pentose phosphate cycle.

This is a metabolic pathway in the human body in which ribose-5-phosphate and other substances crucial for (energy) metabolism are produced. It is then used to form the basic building blocks of DNA and RNA (nucleotides). The pentose phosphate cycle and the resulting NADPH are necessary for the synthesis of fatty acids.

Therefore, the cycle is particularly active in liver cells and fat cells. But the pentose phosphate cycle also takes place in some cells of the testes and in the cells of the hormone glands in the adrenal cortex (where part of the steroid synthesis takes place). If this metabolic process is no longer functioning properly, it is no longer possible to produce enough NADPH. If oxidative stress (high concentration of a harmful form of oxygen) occurs in addition, this deficiency can become noticeable in hemolysis (dissolution of red blood cells).

Ribose 5-phosphate

Ribose-5-phosphate is a carbohydrate, more precisely a simple sugar (monosaccharide). Monosaccharides consist in their basic structure of a chain with several (at least three) carbon atoms. They are the basic building block for all other carbohydrates and can combine to form double sugars (disaccharides), multiple sugars (oligosaccharides) and multiple sugars (polysaccharides).

Ribose-5-phosphate has five carbon atoms and can therefore be classified in the chemical group of pentoses (Greek pente = five). Pentoses are generally indispensable for the metabolism in organs.For example, they play a major role in the formation of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and photosynthesis. Ribose5Phosphate has a number of other functions in our body.

It belongs to the pentose phosphate pathway, which is a way of utilizing carbohydrates in our organism. For example, Ribose5Phosphate helps to process glucose into energy. It is also used in the synthesis of building blocks for our RNA, coenzymes and amino acids.

Generally speaking, Ribose5Phosphate helps in many building processes in our body and is therefore also called metabolite. Through a balanced diet a person normally always has sufficient Ribose5Phosphate stored in the body. However, as a dietary supplement in sports it can play a role in improving performance and providing energy.

The molecular formula of Ribose 5-phosphate is C5H11O8P. Ribose-5-phosphate also has a so-called stereoisomer. This is a molecule that has the same number of atoms and chemical groups, but they differ in their spatial arrangement.

More precisely, Ribose-5-phosphate is even an enantiomer. This in turn means that the two different arrangements of the molecule are exactly mirror images of each other. For the human metabolism, however, only the form of D-ribose-5-phosphate is of importance.

The letter “D” here is derived from the Latin word “dextro”, which means “right”. The stereoisomer is marked with the letter “L”, it stands for “levo”, which is translated as “left”. In chemistry, these names are derived from whether the decisive functional group is located to the right or to the left of the basic structure of the molecule. Ribose-5-phosphate can be found in the body in blood, saliva and, on closer examination, in the mitochondria and cell plasma.