Aldopentoses

Deoxyribose, or more precisely 2-deoxyribose, is a monosaccharide with idealized formula H−(C=O)−(CH2)−(CHOH)3−H. Its name indicates that it is a deoxy sugar, meaning that it is derived from the sugar ribose by loss of a hydroxy group. Discovered in 1929 by Phoebus Levene, deoxyribose is most notable for its presence in DNA. Since the pentose sugars arabinose and ribose only differ by the stereochemistry at C2′, 2-deoxyribose and 2-deoxyarabinose are equivalent, although the latter term is rarely used because ribose, not arabinose, is the precursor to deoxyribose.

Xylose ( , , "wood") is a common monosaccharide, i.e. a simple sugar. Xylose is classified as aldopentose type, which means that it contains five carbon atoms and includes an aldehyde functional group, at least in its open-chain form. It is abundant in biomass, and is one of the most abundant sugars in nature. It is a white, water-soluble solid.

Arabinose is an aldopentose – a monosaccharide containing five carbon atoms, and including an aldehyde (CHO) functional group.

Lyxose is an aldopentose — a monosaccharide containing five carbon atoms, and including an aldehyde functional group. It has chemical formula . It is a C'-2 carbon epimer of the sugar xylose. The name "lyxose" comes from reversing the prefix "xyl" in "xylose".

Apiose is a branched-chain sugar found as residues in galacturonans-type pectins; that occurs in parsley and many other plants. Apiose is a component of cell wall polysaccharides.

-Deoxyribose is an organic compound with formula C5H10O4. It is a synthetic monosaccharide, a stereoisomer (mirror image) of the natural compound -deoxyribose.