Adenine

biochemistry. a purine base, c 5 h 5 n 5 , one of the fundamental components of nucleic acids, as dna, in which it forms a base pair with thymine, and rna, in which it pairs with uracil. symbol: a.
historical examples

adenine and guanine are const-tuents of all nucleic acids (see below) and, hence, are found in all plant and animal tissues.
the chemistry of plant life roscoe wilfred thatcher

noun
a purine base present in tissues of all living organisms as a const-tuent of the nucleic acids dna and rna and of certain coenzymes; 6-aminopurine. formula: c5h5n5; melting pt: 360–365°c
n.

crystaline base, 1885, coined by german physiologist/chemist albrecht kossel (1853-1927) from greek aden “gland” (see inguinal) + chemical suffix -ine (2). so called because it was derived from the pancreas of an ox.

adenine ad·e·nine (ād’n-ēn’, -ĭn)
n.
abbr. a
a purine base that is a const-tuent of dna and rna and an important energy transport and storage component in cellular metabolism.
adenine
(ād’n-ēn’)
a purine base that is a component of dna and rna, forming a base pair with thymine in dna and with uracil in rna. adenine is also part of other biologically important compounds, such as atp, nad, and vitamin b-12, and occurs in tea. chemical formula: c5h5n5.