guanine
Definition
Noun: A purine base, one of the four fundamental nucleobases found in the nucleic acids DNA and RNA. In the double-helix structure of DNA, guanine forms a specific base pair with cytosine through hydrogen bonding.
Usage
Guanine is a technical term used primarily in the fields of biochemistry, molecular biology, and genetics. It is used to discuss the structure, function, and sequences of genetic material. * The sequence of adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine determines an organism's genetic code. * Researchers analyzed the ratio of guanine to cytosine in the bacterial genome. * A mutation occurred where an adenine was substituted for a guanine at a specific point in the gene.
Advanced Usage
- Guanine-cytosine pair (GC pair): Refers to the specific coupling of these two bases in a DNA strand. The stability of a DNA region can be influenced by its GC content.
- The promoter region has a high GC content, making it more stable.
- In its phosphorylated form (as guanosine triphosphate, GTP), it serves as an energy source and a signaling molecule in cellular processes, distinct from its role as a nucleic acid component.
Variants and Related Words
- Deoxyguanosine: The nucleoside form of guanine when linked to deoxyribose sugar, as found in DNA.
- Guanosine: The nucleoside form of guanine when linked to ribose sugar, as found in RNA.
- GTP (Guanosine Triphosphate): A molecule derived from guanine that functions as an energy currency and a molecular switch in cells.
Synonyms
- Nucleobase
- Nitrogenous base (Note: These are general terms for the category to which guanine belongs, not exact synonyms.)
Related Phrases/Concepts
- Base pair: The partnership between two nucleobases (e.g., guanine-cytosine or adenine-thymine) in double-stranded DNA.
- Purine: The class of double-ringed organic compounds to which guanine and adenine belong, as opposed to the single-ringed pyrimidines (cytosine, thymine, uracil).
- Genetic code: The set of rules by which information encoded within DNA or RNA sequences is translated into proteins, reliant on the sequence of bases including guanine.
Noun
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a purine base found in DNA and RNA; pairs with cytosine
