noun
thymine
THIGH-meen/ˈθaɪmiːn/
A chemical base in DNA that pairs with adenine.
Thymine pairs with adenine to help hold DNA strands together.
Etymology
The thymus name and chemical suffix identify thymine through its source: it was isolated from thymic acid obtained from the gland. The name reflects that origin rather than its pairing with adenine.
In context
Thymine and cytosine are similar in structure. But these are the basic building blocks that make up any one of our nucleic acids.
More examples
- Scientists represent thymine with the letter T in DNA sequences.
- RNA usually contains uracil instead of thymine.
- Double-stranded DNA contains equal amounts of thymine and adenine.
Forms
thymine