thymidine

[ thahy-mi-deen ]

noun

, Biochemistry.

1. a nucleoside, C 10 H 14 N 2 O 5 , containing thymine and deoxyribose, that is a constituent of DNA.

thymidine

/ ˈθaɪmɪˌdiːn /

noun

1. the crystalline nucleoside of thymine, found in DNA. Formula: C 10 H 14 N 2 O 5

thymidine

/ thī′mĭ-dēn′ /

1. A nucleoside composed of thymine and deoxyribose that (with the addition of phosphate to form the nucleotide thymine) occurs in DNA. Radioactively tagged thymidine has been used in genetics research to study DNA synthesis in the nuclei of cells undergoing cell division. Chemical formula: C 10 H 14 N 2 O 5 .

Word History and Origins

Origin of thymidine¹

Blend of thymine and -ide ( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of thymidine¹

C20: from thym ( ine ) + -ide + -ine ²

Example Sentences

The group tried to prevent its bacterium from surviving outside the body by making it dependent on a molecule, thymidine, produced by naturally occurring gut bacteria.

From Nature

Uridines are usually found in RNA rather than DNA; in DNA, the cell reads them as if they were the ‘T’ base, thymidine.

From Nature

A cell is placed in a medium containing radioactively labeled thymidine.

From US News

One of the precursors, thymidine triphosphate, had been labeled with tritium.

From Scientific American

Dr. Prusoff spent most of his long career studying molecular derivatives of thymidine, a building block of DNA.

From New York Times