NUCLEOSIDE Meaning and
Definition
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A nucleoside, in the field of biochemistry, refers to a type of organic compound that serves as a fundamental building block of nucleic acids. It is comprised of two key components: a pentose sugar molecule and a nucleobase. The pentose sugar, typically either ribose or deoxyribose, forms the backbone of the nucleoside, while the nucleobase is attached to the 1' carbon atom of the sugar molecule.
Nucleosides play a crucial role in the synthesis of DNA and RNA, which are the genetic materials found in living organisms. By acting as precursors for nucleotides, these molecules are essential in the formation of the DNA and RNA strands. Nucleosides are incorporated into these nucleic acids through the linkage of their sugar moieties to the phosphate group of a nucleotide, forming a phosphodiester bond.
The nucleobase component of a nucleoside determines its specificity and can be one of the four types: adenine, guanine, cytosine, or thymine (in the case of DNA) or uracil (in the case of RNA). The nucleobase is responsible for the distinctive pairing interactions between the DNA or RNA strands, contributing to the stability and integrity of the genetic code.
In summary, a nucleoside is a molecular building block composed of a pentose sugar and a nucleobase. These compounds participate in the synthesis and assembly of genetic material and are crucial for the proper functioning of DNA and RNA in all living organisms.
Common Misspellings for NUCLEOSIDE
- bucleoside
- mucleoside
- jucleoside
- hucleoside
- nycleoside
- nhcleoside
- njcleoside
- nicleoside
- n8cleoside
- n7cleoside
- nuxleoside
- nuvleoside
- nufleoside
- nudleoside
- nuckeoside
- nucpeoside
- nucoeoside
- nuclwoside
- nuclsoside
- nucleosode
- nucleoeside
- nuleoside
- nucleoide
- Nucleosyds
Etymology of NUCLEOSIDE
The word "nucleoside" is derived from two parts: "nucleo-" and "-side".
The prefix "nucleo-" comes from the Latin word "nucleus", which means "kernel" or "core". In this context, it refers to the central part of a cell or atom.
The suffix "-side" is derived from the Latin word "sidus", which means "star" or "constellation". However, in this case, it signifies a "component" or "part".
Combining these two parts, "nucleoside" literally means a component or part of the nucleus. In the context of biochemistry, nucleosides are compounds composed of a nucleobase (such as adenine, cytosine, guanine, thymine, or uracil) linked to a sugar molecule (ribose or deoxyribose).
Similar spelling words for NUCLEOSIDE
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