adenine

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

/ ˈæd n ɪn, -ˌin, -ˌaɪn /

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noun

Biochemistry. a purine base, C5H5N5, 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. Symbol: A

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Origin of adenine

1880–85; <German Adenin;see aden-, -ine²

Words nearby adenine

Aden, Adenauer, adenectomy, Adenese, Adeni, adenine, adenitis, adeno-, adenocarcinoma, adenohypophysis, adenoid

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use adenine in a sentence

These “nucleobases” — adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine and uracil — combine with sugars and phosphates to make up the genetic code of all life on Earth.
All of the bases in DNA and RNA have now been found in meteorites|Liz Kruesi|April 26, 2022|Science News
Scientists often assume that they should search for guanine, thymine, adenine and cytosine, the bases of DNA as we’ve known it until now.
Some viruses thwart bacterial defenses with a unique genetic alphabet|Tina Hesman Saey|May 5, 2021|Science News
Adenine and guanine are constituents of all nucleic acids (see below) and, hence, are found in all plant and animal tissues.
The Chemistry of Plant Life|Roscoe Wilfred Thatcher

British Dictionary definitions for adenine

adenine

/ (ˈædənɪn, -ˌniːn, -ˌnaɪn) /

noun

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for adenine

adenine

[ ăd′n-ēn′ ]

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: C5H5N5.