Ribose 5-phosphate is the intermediate product of the oxidative branch of the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) and the final product of the non-oxidative branch of PPP. Ribose 5-phosphate is used in the synthesis of nucleotides and nucleic acids.

D-Ribose(mixture of isomers) (D-(-)-Ribose), commonly referred to as simply ribose, is a five-carbon sugar found in all living cells. Ribose is not an essential nutrient because it can be synthesized by almost every tissue in the body from other substances, such as glucose. It is vital for life as a component of DNA, RNA, ATP, ADP, and AMP.