NUCLEIN BASES Meaning and
Definition
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Nuclein bases, also known as nitrogenous bases, are the fundamental building blocks of nucleic acids, which include DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid). These bases are organic molecules that contain nitrogen and create the genetic code responsible for carrying and transmitting hereditary information in living organisms.
There are four main nuclein bases: adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and thymine (T) in DNA, while in RNA, thymine is replaced by uracil (U). These bases are classified into two groups: purines and pyrimidines. Adenine and guanine are purine bases as they have a double-ring structure, whereas cytosine, thymine (or uracil), and the backbone of the DNA/RNA strand are pyrimidines due to their single-ring structure.
The specific arrangement of these nuclein bases, forming a long chain-like structure, allows the nucleic acids to encode and store genetic information. The bases pair up through hydrogen bonding, with adenine always pairing with thymine (in DNA) or uracil (in RNA) through two hydrogen bonds, and cytosine always pairing with guanine through three hydrogen bonds. This complementary base pairing is known as the "base pair rule," which ensures the accurate replication and transcription of genetic information.
Understanding the nuclein bases is crucial in the field of genetics as it forms the basis of DNA sequencing, genetic engineering, and studying the genetic code.
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Adenine, guanine, and, through further cleavage, xanthine and hypoxanthine; also called xanthine bases.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
Common Misspellings for NUCLEIN BASES
- buclein bases
- muclein bases
- juclein bases
- huclein bases
- nyclein bases
- nhclein bases
- njclein bases
- niclein bases
- n8clein bases
- n7clein bases
- nuxlein bases
- nuvlein bases
- nuflein bases
- nudlein bases
- nuckein bases
- nucpein bases
- nucoein bases
- nuclwin bases
- nuclsin bases
- nucldin bases
Etymology of NUCLEIN BASES
The term "nuclein bases" is derived from the words "nuclein" and "bases".
The word "nuclein" originates from the Latin word "nucleus", meaning "kernel" or "seed". It was first used by Swiss biochemist Friedrich Miescher in 1869 to describe a substance he discovered in the nuclei of cells. Later, nuclein was renamed "nucleic acid" to reflect its acidic nature and its presence in both the nucleus and cytoplasm of cells.
The term "bases" refers to the nitrogenous bases found in nucleic acids. These bases include adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), thymine (T) in DNA, and uracil (U) in RNA. These bases are responsible for encoding genetic information and forming complementary base pairs that allow the storage and transmission of genetic information.
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