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

How to use adenine in a sentence

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
[ ădn-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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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