uracil

American  

[yoor-uh-sil] / ˈyʊər ə sɪl /

noun

1. Biochemistry. a pyrimidine base, C 4 H 4 N 2 O 2 , that is one of the fundamental components of RNA, in which it forms base pairs with adenine. U

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uracil British  

/ ˈjʊərəsɪl /

noun

1. biochem a pyrimidine present in all living cells, usually in a combined form, as in RNA. Formula: C 4 H 4 N 2 O 2

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uracil Scientific  

/ yr′ə-sĭl /

1. A pyrimidine base that is a component of RNA. It forms a base pair with adenine during transcription. Uracil is therefore structurally analogous to thymine in molecules of DNA. Chemical formula: C ₄ H ₄ N ₂ O ₂ .

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Etymology

Origin of uracil

1905–10; ur- ¹ + ac(etic) + -il, of uncertain origin

Compare meaning

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

• uracil vs. thymine
• uridine vs. uracil

Example Sentences

Importantly they also discovered all five nitrogenous bases — adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine, and uracil — that are necessary to build DNA and RNA.

From Salon

One loose end, Sasselov acknowledges, is that RAO has only been shown to lead to the synthesis of two of RNA’s four nucleotides, cytosine and uracil.

From Science Magazine

RNA, short for ribonucleic acid, would not be possible without uracil.

From Reuters

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

“I am uncertain what it was finally, natural uracil or only dose or both,” he says.

From Science Magazine