or nitrogenous base
n.
A basic compound that contains nitrogen, such as a purine or pyrimidine.
nitrogen base
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A basic compound containing nitrogen. The term is used especially of organic ring compounds, such as adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine, which are constituents of nucleic acids. See amine salts.
| Wikipedia: Nitrogenous base |
A nitrogenous base is an organic compound that owes its property as a base to the lone pair of electrons of a nitrogen atom. Notable nitrogenous bases include pyrimidine and purine bases, the nucleobases (building blocks of DNA and RNA): adenine, guanine, thymine, cytosine, and uracil. Adenine and thymine/guanine and cytosine are complementary to each other. Adenine pairs only with thymine, and cytosine pairs only with guanine. However, in RNA, adenine pairs with uracil, replacing thymine in the RNA strand. Adenine and guanine are purines, and cytosine and thymine are pyrimidines. The nitrogenous bases hydrogen bond between opposing DNA strands to form the rungs of the "twisted ladder" or double helix of DNA.
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 | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Chemistry Dictionary. A Dictionary of Chemistry. Sixth Edition. Copyright © Market House Books Ltd, 2008. All rights reserved. Read more |
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