uracil
noun
ura·cil
ˈyu̇r-ə-ˌsil 
-səl
Examples of uracil in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
These included the amino acid glycine and uracil, a nucleotide base in RNA.
—
Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2025
Importantly, in the ancient atmosphere sample, sprays of water alone were enough to ionize the air and trigger the formation of organic molecules with carbon-nitrogen bonds, such as hydrogen cyanide, glycine and uracil.
—Michael Irving, New Atlas, 17 Mar. 2025
When triggered in a mixture of gases made to replicate the atmosphere on early Earth, these micro-lightnings produced chemical compounds used by present-day life, like glycine, uracil, and urea, along with chemical precursors like cyanoacetylene, and hydrogen cyanide.
—Ars Technica, 14 Mar. 2025
The team also detected adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine and uracil — all five of the biological nucleobases, or components that make up the genetic code in DNA and RNA.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 29 Jan. 2025
The other paper, in the journal Nature Astronomy, was even more tantalizing, reporting the discovery of all five nucleobases that make up DNA and RNA—adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine, and uracil—in the Bennu samples.
—Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 29 Jan. 2025
In an earlier study of a different asteroid named Ryugu, scientists only detected uracil and nicotinic acid.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 29 Jan. 2025
With that sample, scientists have found evidence suggesting that asteroids had delivered water to the early Earth, and discovered the presence of uracil — a building block of RNA, a molecule that helps form proteins.
—Katrina Miller, New York Times, 25 Sep. 2023
Meanwhile, scientists studying samples returned from the near-Earth asteroid Ryugu discovered vitamin B3 and an RNA compound called uracil.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 25 Mar. 2023
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Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2025
Importantly, in the ancient atmosphere sample, sprays of water alone were enough to ionize the air and trigger the formation of organic molecules with carbon-nitrogen bonds, such as hydrogen cyanide, glycine and uracil.
—Michael Irving, New Atlas, 17 Mar. 2025
When triggered in a mixture of gases made to replicate the atmosphere on early Earth, these micro-lightnings produced chemical compounds used by present-day life, like glycine, uracil, and urea, along with chemical precursors like cyanoacetylene, and hydrogen cyanide.
—Ars Technica, 14 Mar. 2025
The team also detected adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine and uracil — all five of the biological nucleobases, or components that make up the genetic code in DNA and RNA.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 29 Jan. 2025
The other paper, in the journal Nature Astronomy, was even more tantalizing, reporting the discovery of all five nucleobases that make up DNA and RNA—adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine, and uracil—in the Bennu samples.
—Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 29 Jan. 2025
In an earlier study of a different asteroid named Ryugu, scientists only detected uracil and nicotinic acid.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 29 Jan. 2025
With that sample, scientists have found evidence suggesting that asteroids had delivered water to the early Earth, and discovered the presence of uracil — a building block of RNA, a molecule that helps form proteins.
—Katrina Miller, New York Times, 25 Sep. 2023
Meanwhile, scientists studying samples returned from the near-Earth asteroid Ryugu discovered vitamin B3 and an RNA compound called uracil.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 25 Mar. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Uracil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/uracil. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
uracil
noun
ura·cil
ˈyu̇r-ə-ˌsil
-səl
Medical Definition
uracil
noun
ura·cil
ˈyu̇r-ə-ˌsil, -səl
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