Adenine

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Adenine is one of the two purine nucleobases used in forming nucleotides of the nucleic acids DNA and RNA. In DNA, adenine (A) binds to thymine (T) via two hydrogen bonds to assist in stabilizing the nucleic acid structures. In RNA, adenine binds to uracil (U).

Related Topics:
Purine - Nucleobase - Nucleotide - DNA - RNA - Thymine - Hydrogen bonds - Uracil

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Adenine forms adenosine, a nucleoside, when attached to ribose, and deoxyadenosine when attached to deoxyribose, and it forms adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a nucleotide, when three phosphate groups are added to adenosine. Adenosine triphosphate is used in cellular metabolism as one of the basic methods of transferring chemical energy between reactions.

Related Topics:
Adenosine - Nucleoside - Ribose - Deoxyadenosine - Deoxyribose - Adenosine triphosphate - Nucleotide

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In older literature, adenine was sometimes called Vitamin B4. However it is no longer considered a true vitamin (see Vitamin B).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Some think that at the origin of life on Earth, the first adenine was formed by five hydrogen cyanide (HCN) molecules polymerizing.

Related Topics:
Origin of life - Hydrogen cyanide

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~