complementary base

American  

noun

Genetics.

1. either of the nucleotide bases linked by a hydrogen bond on opposite strands of DNA or double-stranded RNA: guanine is the complementary base of cytosine, and adenine is the complementary base of thymine in DNA and of uracil in RNA.

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Usage

What is a complementary base? A complementary base is either of the two nitrogen-containing sections of a nucleotide that bond together to connect strands of DNA or RNA.DNA and RNA are complex molecules that are central to genetics and both are made of things called nucleotides. Nucleotides are made of a sugar molecule, phosphoric acid, and a base. In chemistry, the word base refers to a chemical that will give or receive electrons or protons, and the two partner bases that share with each other in the nucleotides of DNA and RNA are called complementary bases.The arrangement of the complementary bases is crucial to DNA’s structure and is what gives it its characteristic double helix shape.

Example Sentences

The mystery deepened when they learned each bit of DNA was attached to an RNA with a complementary base sequence.

From Science Magazine

Complementary base pairing means that ASOs have preferred-partner mRNAs.

From Nature

Making ASO-based treatments a reality has required the creation of molecules that retained nucleic acid’s property of complementary base pairing, while otherwise overhauling ASO chemistry.

From Nature