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adenine

[ ad-n-in, -een, -ahyn ]
/ ˈæd n ɪn, -ˌin, -ˌaɪn /
|

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

Nearby words

  1. adenectopia,
  2. adenemphraxis,
  3. adenese,
  4. adeni,
  5. adeniform,
  6. adenine deoxyribonucleotide,
  7. adenine nucleotide,
  8. adenitis,
  9. adenization,
  10. adeno-

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

  • 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

Word Origin and History for adenine

adenine

n.

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.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Medicine definitions for adenine

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.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

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