Nucleobase

A nitrogen-containing molecule that forms part of a nucleotide and encodes sequence information in DNA or RNA through specific pairing.

Nucleotide: A molecule composed of a nitrogenous base, a sugar, and one or more phosphate groups. Nucleobases are one of the three structural parts of nucleotides.
Complementary base pairing: Preferential hydrogen bonding between particular nucleobases in paired nucleic acid strands. Specific pairing lets base sequences guide complementary strand formation.
Genetic code: The rules by which nucleotide triplets in messenger RNA specify amino acids or stop signals during translation. Nucleobase order determines the codons interpreted by the genetic code.
Purine: A nitrogen-containing bicyclic molecular scaffold found in adenine and guanine. Two of the canonical nucleobases belong to this structural family.
Nucleoside: A molecule consisting of a nitrogenous base attached to a sugar. Removing nucleotide phosphates leaves a nucleoside with its base intact.
Watson–Crick base pairs: The canonical adenine–thymine and guanine–cytosine pairs in DNA, with uracil replacing thymine in RNA. These pairings account for the standard sequence complementarity of nucleobases.
DNA sequencing: Methods for determining the order of nucleotides in a DNA molecule. Sequencing measures the order of bases that carries genetic information.
Pyrimidine: A nitrogen-containing six-membered heterocyclic scaffold found in cytosine, thymine, and uracil. The other canonical nucleobases share this smaller ring structure.
Nucleic acid: A polymer of nucleotides that stores, transmits, or helps express genetic information. Nucleobases form the sequence-bearing components of nucleic acids.
DNA replication: The cellular process that copies DNA before cell division. Template bases direct the selection of complementary bases in each new strand.

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