guanine

[ gwah-neen ]

/ ˈgwɑ nin /

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noun Biochemistry.

a purine base, C5H5N5O, that is a fundamental constituent of DNA and RNA, in which it forms base pairs with cytosine. Symbol: G

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Compare guanosine.

Origin of guanine

guan(o) + -ine²

Words nearby guanine

Guangxi Zhuang, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Guangzhou, Guangzhouwan, guanidine, guanine, guanine deaminase, guano, guanosine, guanosine monophosphate, guanosine triphosphate

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

How to use guanine in a sentence

In all four, the team detected and measured adenine, guanine, cytosine, uracil, thymine, several compounds related to those bases and a few amino acids.
All of the bases in DNA and RNA have now been found in meteorites|Liz Kruesi|April 26, 2022|Science News
Inside the reflective flash spots lie little platelets of the compound guanine that have grown in such a way that they can reflect colorful light depending on the angle.
Tiny crystals give a plain fish twinkling, colorful dots under light|Susan Milius|April 6, 2021|Science News
What gives the fish guanine platelets particular abilities though remains a puzzle.
Tiny crystals give a plain fish twinkling, colorful dots under light|Susan Milius|April 6, 2021|Science News
In earlier work, he’s shown how guanine platelets can be manipulated in magnetic fields, suggesting that such sensors could be targeted and herded.
Tiny crystals give a plain fish twinkling, colorful dots under light|Susan Milius|April 6, 2021|Science News

The cutis contains several kinds of specialized cells in many layers, each filled with minute granules of guanine.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 7|Various
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
Besides white (guanine) cells, the pigment includes black, brown, yellow and red.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Slice 4|Various
The artificial preparation of theobromine and caffeine from xanthine, and guanine also show clearly their relations.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 415, December 15, 1883|Various
It was first prepared in 1861 by A. Strecker, who oxidized guanine with hydrochloric acid and potassium chlorate.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 6|Various

British Dictionary definitions for guanine

guanine

/ (ˈɡwɑːniːn, ˈɡuːəˌniːn) /

noun

a white almost insoluble compound: one of the purine bases in nucleic acids. Formula: C 5 H 5 N 5 O

Word Origin for guanine

C19: from guano + -ine ²

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 guanine

guanine

[ gwä′nēn′ ]

A purine base that is a component of DNA and RNA, forming a base pair with cytosine. It also occurs in guano, fish scales, sugar beets, and other natural materials. Chemical formula: C5H5ON5.