Pyrimidines
Pyrimidines
Pyrimidines (pronounced: pahy-rim-i-deens) are one of the two types of nucleobases used in creating nucleotides, the building blocks of nucleic acids. The term "pyrimidine" is also used to refer to pyrimidine derivatives, most notably the three nucleobases that are found in nucleic acids: cytosine, thymine, and uracil.
Etymology
The term "pyrimidine" comes from the Greek word "pyrimidos," which means "pyramid-like." This is due to the structure of the pyrimidine molecule, which resembles a pyramid.
Structure and Function
Pyrimidines are aromatic heterocyclic organic compounds that consist of a pyrimidine ring which is a six-membered ring with two nitrogen atoms and four carbon atoms. The primary function of pyrimidines is to serve as the building blocks of DNA and RNA. They pair with purines in DNA: cytosine pairs with guanine and thymine pairs with adenine. In RNA, uracil replaces thymine and pairs with adenine.
Related Terms
- Nucleobase: A base that is a constituent of nucleic acids, capable of forming a base pair with a complementary base.
- Nucleotide: A compound consisting of a nucleoside linked to a phosphate group, forming the basic constituent of DNA and RNA.
- Cytosine: One of the four main bases found in DNA and RNA, a pyrimidine derivative.
- Thymine: One of the four main bases found in DNA, a pyrimidine derivative.
- Uracil: One of the four main bases found in RNA, a pyrimidine derivative.
- Purines: The other type of nucleobase used in creating nucleotides, which pair with pyrimidines in DNA and RNA.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Pyrimidines
- Wikipedia's article - Pyrimidines
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