Nucleobase

Nucleobase

A nucleobase is a basic nitrogen-containing molecule that forms the building block of the genetic molecules DNA and RNA. They are an essential part of the genetic code, and are crucial for the storage and transmission of genetic information in cells.

Structure

Nucleobases are composed of a nitrogenous base, a five-carbon sugar, and at least one phosphate group. The nitrogenous base can be either a purine (adenine and guanine) or a pyrimidine (cytosine, thymine, and uracil). The sugar is either ribose (in RNA) or deoxyribose (in DNA).

Function

Nucleobases are involved in the formation of base pairs, which are the building blocks of the DNA double helix and the RNA single strand. They are also involved in the process of protein synthesis, where they act as a template for the assembly of amino acids into proteins.

Types of Nucleobases

There are five primary nucleobases: adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), thymine (T), and uracil (U). Adenine pairs with thymine in DNA and with uracil in RNA, while guanine pairs with cytosine in both DNA and RNA.

Adenine

Adenine is a purine nucleobase. It pairs with thymine in DNA and with uracil in RNA.

Guanine

Guanine is also a purine nucleobase. It pairs with cytosine in both DNA and RNA.

Cytosine

Cytosine is a pyrimidine nucleobase. It pairs with guanine in both DNA and RNA.

Thymine

Thymine is a pyrimidine nucleobase. It pairs with adenine in DNA.

Uracil

Uracil is a pyrimidine nucleobase. It pairs with adenine in RNA.

See Also

• DNA
• RNA
• Protein synthesis
• Genetic code

Nucleobase Resources
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