noun
- a purine base that is one of the four nucleobases in DNA and RNA, pairing with thymine in DNA and uracil in RNA.
Usage: biochemistry; molecular biology
Examples
- Adenine is one of the two purine bases found in nucleic acids.
- In DNA, adenine always pairs with thymine through two hydrogen bonds.
- The sequence of adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine determines the genetic code.
- Adenine is essential for the structure and function of all living cells.
- Scientists use adenine as a marker in genetic research and DNA sequencing.