adenine

noun

ad·​e·​nine ˈa-də-ˌnēn How to pronounce adenine (audio)
: a purine base C5H5N5 that codes hereditary information in the genetic code in DNA and RNA compare cytosine, guanine, thymine, uracil

Examples of adenine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The key shows the universal elements (hydrogen, oxygen, carbon and nitrogen), the four bases of the DNA molecule (adenine, cytosine, guanine and thymine) with their molecular structure, where they’re placed in the DNA double helix, and how genes are arranged on a chromosome. —New Atlas, 19 Sep. 2024 All living organisms have DNA that is made of four nucleotide bases–adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 17 Apr. 2024 Agilent developed a way to print strands of DNA from the four nucleic acid bases—cytosine (C), guanine (G), adenine (A), and thymine (T). —Phillip W. Barth, IEEE Spectrum, 25 Mar. 2024 This storage system works by converting digital information to the elements that make up DNA: adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and thymine (T). —Emma Roth, The Verge, 4 Dec. 2023 See all Example Sentences for adenine 

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from German Adenin, from Greek aden-, adḗn "gland" + German -in -ine entry 2; so called from its presence in glandular tissue — more at adeno-

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of adenine was in 1885

Phrases Containing adenine

Dictionary Entries Near adenine

Aden, Gulf of

adenine

adenitis

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Adenine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adenine. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

adenine

noun
ad·​e·​nine ˈad-ᵊn-ēn How to pronounce adenine (audio)
: one of the bases which make up the genetic code of DNA and RNA compare cytosine, guanine, thymine, uracil

Medical Definition

adenine

noun
ad·​e·​nine ˈad-ᵊn-ˌēn How to pronounce adenine (audio)
: a purine base C5H5N5 that codes hereditary information in the genetic code in DNA and RNA compare cytosine, guanine, thymine, uracil

More from Merriam-Webster on adenine

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about adenine

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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