Definition of adenine in English:



mass nounBiochemistry

    Alternative name: 6-aminopurine; chemical formula: C₅H₅N₅

    • ‘The nitrogen-containing units are the bases: adenine, cytosine, guanine, and uracil.’
    • ‘Causes and effects The structure of thalidomide is similar to that of the DNA purine bases adenine and guanine.’
    • ‘These bases are adenine, cytosine, guanine and thymine and can be represented as A, C, G, and T, respectively.’


Late 19th century: coined in German from Greek adēn ‘gland’ + -ine.