Adenine is one of nitrogenous bases utilized in the synthesis of nucleic acids. Adenine is one of the two purine nucleobases used when forming nucleotides of the nucleic acids. In DNA, adenine binds to thymine via two hydrogen bonds to assist in stabilizing the nucleic acid structures.
What is adenine used in?
Adenine is also used elsewhere in the cell, not just in DNA and RNA, but it's part of the molecule adenosine triphosphate, which is the energy source for the cell. So adenine plays a dual role in the cell: it's used for building DNA and RNA, but it's also used at storing energy in the cell.
What is an example of adenine?
Adenine is a purine nucleobase with a chemical formula of C5H5N5. Purines are heterocyclic aromatic organic compounds. As a purine, adenine is comprised of two carbon rings: a pyrimidine ring and an imidazole ring.
