adenine

[ ad-n-in, -een, -ahyn ]

noun

1. Biochemistry. a purine base, C 5 H 5 N 5 , one of the fundamental components of nucleic acids, as DNA, in which it forms a base pair with thymine, and RNA, in which it pairs with uracil. : A

adenine

/ -ˌnaɪn; -ˌniːn; ˈædənɪn /

noun

1. a purine base present in tissues of all living organisms as a constituent of the nucleic acids DNA and RNA and of certain coenzymes; 6-aminopurine. Formula: C 5 H 5 N 5 ; melting pt: 360–365°C

adenine

/ ăd′n-ēn′ /

1. A purine base that is a component of DNA and RNA, forming a base pair with thymine in DNA and with uracil in RNA. Adenine is also part of other biologically important compounds, such as ATP, NAD, and vitamin B-12, and occurs in tea. Chemical formula: C 5 H 5 N 5 .

Word History and Origins

Origin of adenine¹

1880–85; < German Adenin; aden-, -ine ²

Example Sentences

Nucleotides are composed of three distinctive parts: a sugar molecule, a phosphate group and one of the four nucleobases adenine, thymine, guanine and cytosine.

From Science Daily

NMNAT2 is a vital provider of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide for the brain.

From Science Daily

"Upon introduction of this small molecule, the two separate inactive fragments of the adenine base editor are glued together and rendered active," Zeng said.

From Science Daily

Huntington’s is a hereditary neurodegenerative disease caused by excess repetitions of three building blocks of DNA — cytosine, adenine, and guanine — on a gene called huntingtin.

From New York Times

Rather than inducing random changes in the virus’ RNA genome, the drug is more likely to cause specific nucleic acid substitutions, with guanine switching to adenine and cytosine to uracil.

From Science Magazine