nucleotide

noun

nu·​cle·​o·​tide ˈnü-klē-ə-ˌtīd 

ˈnyü-

: any of several compounds that consist of a ribose or deoxyribose sugar joined to a purine or pyrimidine base and to a phosphate group and that are the basic structural units of nucleic acids (such as RNA and DNA) compare nucleoside

Examples of nucleotide in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Understanding how nucleotides came together to form a long chain of RNA is a crucial step in deciphering prebiotic evolution. —Discover Magazine, 17 Oct. 2024

The subglacial rock contained cosmogenic nucleotides that prove that Summit’s surface was exposed to the elements for an extended period. —Carly Miller, Forbes, 27 Sep. 2024

At its simplest, sickle cell disease is a problem caused by the smallest unit in genetics: a change in a single nucleotide—one of about three billion in the human genome—within a gene that directs the production of one part of hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen molecules through the blood. —Maryn McKenna, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2024

Phosphates are among the constituents of nucleotides, which in turn form the structural units of nucleic acids, like DNA. —Linda Shiner, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary, irregular from nucle- + -ide

First Known Use

1908, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing nucleotide

• diphosphopyridine nucleotide
• triphosphopyridine nucleotide

Kids Definition

nucleotide

noun

nu·​cle·​o·​tide ˈn(y)ü-klē-ə-ˌtīd 

: any of the basic units of structure of DNA or RNA that consist of a base (as adenine, cytosine, guanine, or thymine) joined to a sugar (as deoxyribose) with five carbon atoms in a molecule and to a phosphate group

Medical Definition

nucleotide

noun

nu·​cle·​o·​tide ˈn(y)ü-klē-ə-ˌtīd 

: any of several compounds that consist of a ribose or deoxyribose sugar joined to a purine or pyrimidine base and to a phosphate group and that are the basic structural units of RNA and DNA compare nucleoside