adenine

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

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

Origin of adenine

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for adenine

Historical Examples of adenine

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

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

Word Origin and History for adenine

crystaline base, 1885, coined by German physiologist/chemist Albrecht Kossel (1853-1927) from Greek aden "gland" (see inguinal) + chemical suffix -ine (2). So called because it was derived from the pancreas of an ox.

adenine in Medicine

adenine

[ăd′n-ēn′, -ĭn]

n.

A purine base that is a constituent of DNA and RNA and an important energy transport and storage component in cellular metabolism.

adenine in Science

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.