guanine

American  

[gwah-neen] / ˈgwɑ nin /

noun

Biochemistry.

1. a purine base, C 5 H 5 N 5 O, that is a fundamental constituent of DNA and RNA, in which it forms base pairs with cytosine. G

---

guanine British  

/ ˈɡuːəˌniːn, ˈɡwɑːniːn /

noun

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

---

guanine Scientific  

/ gwä′nēn′ /

1. 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: C ₅ H ₅ ON ₅ .

---

Etymology

Origin of guanine

guan(o) + -ine ²

Example Sentences

Importantly they also discovered all five nitrogenous bases — adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine, and uracil — that are necessary to build DNA and RNA.

From Salon • Jan. 30, 2025

These include 14 of the 20 amino acids that life on Earth uses to build proteins and all four of the ring-shaped molecules that make up DNA - adenine, guanine, cytosine and thymine.

From BBC • Jan. 29, 2025

In contrast, her team's findings show that the presence of bicarbonate from dissolved CO₂ changes the reaction to make a milder radical striking only guanine, the G in our four-letter genetic code.

From Science Daily • Nov. 26, 2024

It isn’t known to produce the other two, adenine and guanine, although Sasselov says there’s a “big push” to search for RAO reactions that could do it.

From Science Magazine • Jun. 13, 2023

This was no reason, however, not to tell Maurice that conceivably adenine was attracted to thymine and guanine to cytosine.

From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson