DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid)
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- An organic acid and polymer composed of four nitrogenous bases--adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine linked via intervening units of phosphate and the pentose sugar deoxyribose. DNA is the genetic material of most organisms and usually exists as a double-stranded molecule in which two antiparallel strands are held together by hydrogen bonds between adeninethymine and cytosine-guanine. (See b\-DNA, cDNA, Complementary DNA or RNA, DNA polymorphism, DNA sequencing, Double\-stranded complementary DNA, Duplex DNA, Z\-DNA.)
Susan Allender-Hagedorn and Charles Hagedorn - Cite This Source - This Definition - The genetic material of all cells and many viruses. The molecule that encodes genetic information. DNA is a double-stranded molecule held together by weak bonds between base pairs of nucleotides. The four nucleotides in DNA contain the bases adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), and thymine (T). In nature, base pairs form only between A and T and between G and C; thus the base sequence of each single strand can be deduced from that of its partner.
USDA CSREES - Cite This Source - This Definition - base pair, complementary, Complementary DNA or RNA, complementary entity, DNA, nucleic acid, Palindrome, single-stranded nucleic acid, Viroid
- The molecule that encodes genetic information. DNA is a double-stranded molecule held together by weak bonds between base pairs of nucleotides. The four nucleotides in DNA contain the bases adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), and thymine (T). In nature, base pairs form only between A and T and between G and C; thus the base sequence of each single strand can be deduced from that of its partner.
Human Genome Project - Cite This Source - This Definition - adenine, Adenine (A), base, base pair, Base pair (bp), cytosine, Cytosine (C), genetic code (ATGC), guanine, Guanine (G), intellectual property rights, nitrogenous base, Nucleotide, purine, pyrimidine, thymine, Thymine (T), uracil