Which Discovery Is Attributed To Phoebus Levene?

Question- Which discovery is attributed to Phoebus Levene?

1. A) Recognition of RNA as DNA's messenger
2. B) Ribose and deoxyribose identification.
3. C) Extraction and observation of DNA
4. D) Construction of an accurate DNA model

Answer - B) Ribose and deoxyribose identification.

Phoebus Levene is a renowned scientist well known for deconstructing DNA elements. He proposed that DNA comprises of equal amounts of Adenine, Guanine, Cytosine, and Thymine. Phoebus Levene has a major contribution in finding out deoxyribose in 1929. It mainly consists of 2 decoys - D-erythrism pentose and thymine. He also discovered the presence of nucleotides which are small molecules that bind up together to form the genetic material. One of the most predominant discoveries for which he is widely known is the discovery of five carbon sugar deoxyribose from ribonucleic acid after he isolated the nucleic acid from it.

Let's dive deep to discover the difference between Ribose and deoxyribose and how it can be identified. Although, they both appear to be the same, some basic differences lie between the two. Ribose is a pentose sugar while deoxyribose is an aldopentose sugar. And both of them have an aldehyde group attached to them. The difference lies in the presence of two different sugars which is how enzymes differentiate between the two.

While deoxyribose is a major component of DNA, Ribose plays one of the major roles in coding and decoding genetic information.

Another major difference is that Ribose has a hydroxyl OH group at position 2, whereas deoxyribose has a hydrogen atom at position 2. This makes Ribose capable of turning into RNA while deoxyribose turns into DNA.

Phoebus Levene discovered deoxyribose by isolating the nucleotides from ribose. It took him 20 years to figure out that deoxyribose sugar which he got by removing one oxygen atom from the ribose, is an essential component of genes. Though it was not clear back then, now it is known that DNA plays a crucial part in life.

Ribose is a single-ring, monosaccharide pentose sugar whose carbon atoms run clockwise. Deoxyribose is a monosaccharide too, but it loses one carbon atom. When it comes to structural differences, Ribose looks more like a chair with its constituents leading it to look like a five-membered ring. Whereas when it comes to deoxyribose, it looks more like a linear structure with a six-membered ring shape. The lack of a phosphate group is one of the major reasons why it can form one of the major elements of DNA.

It gets difficult to differentiate between the two because they have a lot of similarities. Both ribose and deoxyribose are nucleotides that lead to the formation of RNA and DNA. The sugar in RNA is Ribose, while in DNA it is deoxyribose. Another thing that connects the two is their phosphate backbone and pentose sugar.

Apart from his work on this, Phoebus Levene is also known for his tetra-nucleotide hypothesis, which concluded that DNA comprises equal amounts of adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine. It was believed that DNA has these repeating nucleotides that carry no genetic information at all. This led to a belief that proteins were the main source of heredity which Sir Erwin Chargaff discarded later with his work.

FAQs

1) What is the significance of Ribose?

Ans: Ribose is one of the major components of nucleic acids and nucleotides like NADH, NADPH, and FADH2. It is also a very important factor for ATP generation. Ribose is equally vital in the health sector too. D ribose prevents congestive heart failure and myalgia encephalitis, reducing cramps, myocardial dysfunction, and many other ailments.

2) What is the significance of deoxyribose?

Ans: Deoxyribose is one of the major components of DNA. DNA is vital because it can produce, survive, and develop cells, tissues, and organs. It is also one of the major energy sources and responsible for its effective storage in the body.

3) Is deoxyribose and Ribose the same?

Ans: Although many think that both deoxyribose and Ribose are the same, there are a few structural differences that matters a lot. Deoxyribose lacks a hydroxyl group on the second carbon of the ring, which allows it to develop into DNA. These minor, subtle differences lead Ribose to develop into RNA, which has different functions and properties.

4) Do Ribose and deoxyribose have the same chemical formula?

Ans: The chemical formula of Ribose and deoxyribose differs. The formula of Ribose is H−(C=O) − (CHOH) ₄−H, whereas the formula of deoxyribose is H−(C=O) − (CH₂) − (CHOH) ₃−H. This shows the prime difference between the two, as the latter has one less oxygen atom, which makes all the difference.

5) Is RNA and DNA the same?

Ans: RNA stands for ribonucleic acid, while DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid. DNA replicates the genetic information of an organism, while RNA converts the genetic information in DNA and uses that information to build proteins. Amongst other major differences, RNA is a small polymer consisting of a single strand, whereas DNA is longer and double-stranded.

6) How can I study Ribose easily?

Ans: Studying Ribose is not that difficult if you know the tactics. Focus on understanding the diagram and memorize its chemical formula. Go through the topic easily and understand how it differs from deoxyribose to avoid confusion later.