noun
- Plural of adenine; a purine base that is one of the four nucleobases in DNA and RNA, paired with thymine in DNA and uracil in RNA.
Usage: technical; biology
Examples
- Adenines are essential components of the genetic code found in all living organisms.
- The DNA molecule contains adenines paired with thymine bases.
- Scientists studied how adenines bond with other nucleobases in the double helix.
- In RNA, adenines pair with uracil instead of thymine.
- The sequence of adenines and other bases determines the genetic instructions for proteins.