What is the main structural difference between ribose and deoxyribose?

The main structural difference between ribose and deoxyribose lies in the presence or absence of a hydroxyl group on the second carbon atom of the sugar. Ribose, which is a five-carbon sugar found in RNA, has a hydroxyl group (-OH) attached to the second carbon, making it fully hydroxylated. In contrast, deoxyribose, which makes up the sugar in DNA, lacks this hydroxyl group on the second carbon, hence the prefix "deoxy," meaning "without oxygen." This subtle but significant structural difference impacts the overall stability and functionality of the nucleic acids each sugar contributes to, with deoxyribose making DNA more stable and less reactive than RNA.