Nucleotide

Origin

From -("relating to the nucleus") + ide("chemical suffix") + -

Full definition of nucleotide

Noun

1. (biochemistry) the monomer comprising DNA or RNA biopolymer molecules. Each nucleotide consists of a nitrogenous heterocyclic base (or nucleobase), which can be either a double-ringed purine or a single-ringed pyrimidine; a five-carbon pentose sugar (deoxyribose in DNA or ribose in RNA); and a phosphate group.

Derived terms

Meronyms

• nucleobase

Holonyms

• codon
• DNA
• RNA