How did cytosine get its name?

After German Cytosin, equivalent to Ancient Greek κύτος (kútos) + -ine. Cytosine was discovered and named by the German biochemists Albrecht Kossel and Albert Neumann in 1894 when it was hydrolyzed from calf thymus tissues.

How did DNA bases get their names?

The name comes from its structure, which is a sugar and phosphate backbone which have bases sticking out from it–so-called bases. So that “deoxyribo” refers to the sugar and the nucleic acid refers to the phosphate and the bases.

Where did adenine get its name?

Hermann Emil Fischer was one of the early scientists to study adenine. It was named in 1885 by Albrecht Kossel, in reference to the pancreas (a specific gland – in Greek, ἀδήν “aden”) from which Kossel’s sample had been extracted.

What does guanine stand for?

purine base
Definition of guanine : a purine base C5H5N5O that codes genetic information in the polynucleotide chain of DNA or RNA — compare adenine, cytosine, thymine, uracil.

Why does adenine always pair with thymine and guanine with cytosine in DNA?

The chemical structures of Thymine and Cytosine are smaller, while those of Adenine and Guanine are larger. Size and structure of the specific nucleotides cause Adenine and Thymine to always pair together while Cytosine and Guanine always pair together. Therefore the two strands of DNA are considered complimentary.

What is cytosine science definition?

Listen to pronunciation. (SY-toh-seen) A chemical compound that is used to make one of the building blocks of DNA and RNA. It is a type of pyrimidine.

What is adenine A?

Adenine (A) is one of four chemical bases in DNA, with the other three being cytosine (C), guanine (G), and thymine (T). Within the DNA molecule, adenine bases located on one strand form chemical bonds with thymine bases on the opposite strand. The sequence of four DNA bases encodes the cell’s genetic instructions.

Why do adenine and cytosine form complementary base pairs?

You see, cytosine can form three hydrogen bonds with guanine, and adenine can form two hydrogen bonds with thymine. Or, more simply, C bonds with G and A bonds with T. It’s called complementary base pairing because each base can only bond with a specific base partner. The structures complement each other, in a way, like a lock and a key.

What is the chemical name of DNA?

Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) DNA is the chemical name for the molecule that carries genetic instructions in all living things. The DNA molecule consists of two strands that wind around one another to form a shape known as a double helix. Each strand has a backbone made of alternating sugar (deoxyribose) and phosphate groups.

What is the phosphate and sugar end of DNA?

Therefore, each strand will always have a phosphate at one end and a sugar at the other end. Rather than having to refer to the phosphate or sugar end, scientists simply refer to the ends of the DNA by the closest carbon in the sugar ring.