pyrimidine

American  

[pahy-rim-i-deen, pi-, pir-uh-mi-deen, -din] / paɪˈrɪm ɪˌdin, pɪ-, ˈpɪr ə mɪˌdin, -dɪn /

noun

Biochemistry.

1. a heterocyclic compound, C 4 H 4 N 2 , that is the basis of several important biochemical substances.

2. one of several pyrimidine derivatives, especially the bases cytosine, thymine, and uracil, which are fundamental constituents of nucleic acids.

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pyrimidine British  

/ paɪˈrɪmɪˌdiːn /

noun

1. a liquid or crystalline organic compound with a penetrating odour; 1,3-diazine. It is a weakly basic soluble heterocyclic compound and can be prepared from barbituric acid. Formula: C 4 H 4 N 2

2. Also called: pyrimidine base.  any of a number of similar compounds having a basic structure that is derived from pyrimidine, including cytosine, thymine, and uracil, which are constituents of nucleic acids

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pyrimidine Scientific  

/ pī-rĭm′ĭ-dēn′ /

1. Any of a group of organic compounds having a single six-member ring in which the first and third atoms are nitrogen and the rest are carbon. Pyrimidines include the bases cytosine, thymine, and uracil, which are components of DNA and RNA. Pyrimidine rings are also components of several larger compounds, such as thiamine and some synthetic barbiturates.

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Etymology

Origin of pyrimidine

1880–85; blend of pyridine and imide

Example Sentences

Researchers say cancer cells need to run out of pyrimidine building blocks, including uridine nucleotides, before the cells will self-destruct.

From Science Daily

Olorofim, the compound Hoenigl is testing, is one example: It blocks the synthesis of pyrimidine, the precursor of DNA building blocks.

From Science Magazine

Targeting one carbon metabolism with an antimetabolite disrupts pyrimidine homeostasis and induces nucleotide overflow.

From Nature

Therefore, the immediate 3′ and 5′ nucleotides of all somatic SNVs were extracted from the reference genome and the obtained trinucleotides were converted to pyrimidine context resulting in 96 possible mutation types.

From Nature

This could only mean that the 3.4 A-thick purine and pyrimidine bases were stacked on top of each other in a direction perpendicular to the helical axis.

From Literature