nucleotide

American  

[noo-klee-uh-tahyd, nyoo-] / ˈnu kli əˌtaɪd, ˈnyu- /

noun

Biochemistry.

1. any of a group of molecules that, when linked together, form the building blocks of DNA or RNA: composed of a phosphate group, the bases adenine, cytosine, guanine, and thymine, and a pentose sugar, in RNA the thymine base being replaced by uracil.

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nucleotide British  

/ ˈnjuːklɪəˌtaɪd /

noun

1. biochem a compound consisting of a nucleoside linked to phosphoric acid. Nucleic acids are made up of long chains (polynucleotides) of such compounds

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nucleotide Scientific  

/ no̅o̅′klē-ə-tīd′ /

1. Any of a group of organic compounds composed of a nucleoside linked to a phosphate group. Nucleotides are the basic building blocks of nucleic acids.

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Other Word Forms

• internucleotide adjective

Etymology

Origin of nucleotide

First recorded in 1905–10; alteration of nucleoside

Compare meaning

How does nucleotide compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• nucleoside vs. nucleotide

Example Sentences

The promoter region of the dcw operon contains four repeated segments, or "boxes," each composed of six nucleotides.

From Science Daily

"The ammonia goes into amino acids and nucleotides, both of which tumor cells depend on for growth," said Zong.

From Science Daily

If COMs were embedded in their building materials from the start, then these worlds may also contain the molecular ingredients needed for prebiotic chemistry, including the formation of amino acids and nucleotides.

From Science Daily

"You're taking something in one language and translating it into another, nucleotides to amino acids."

From Science Daily

While they are not themselves components of living cells, they may represent early steps in the chain of reactions that eventually produce amino acids and nucleotides.

From Science Daily