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

adenectopia, adenemphraxis, Adenese, Adeni, adeniform, adenine, adenine deoxyribonucleotide, adenine nucleotide, adenitis, adenization, adeno-

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use adenine in a sentence

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

Medical definitions for adenine

adenine

[ ăd′n-ēn′, -ĭn ]

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

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.