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uracil

[ yoor-uh-sil ]

noun

  1. Biochemistry. a pyrimidine base, C 4 H 4 N 2 O 2 , that is one of the fundamental components of RNA, in which it forms base pairs with adenine. : U


uracil

/ ˈjʊərəsɪl /

noun

  1. biochem a pyrimidine present in all living cells, usually in a combined form, as in RNA. Formula: C 4 H 4 N 2 O 2
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


uracil

/ yrə-sĭl /

  1. A pyrimidine base that is a component of RNA. It forms a base pair with adenine during transcription. Uracil is therefore structurally analogous to thymine in molecules of DNA. Chemical formula: C 4 H 4 N 2 O 2 .


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Word History and Origins

Origin of uracil1

1905–10; ur- 1 + ac(etic) + -il, of uncertain origin
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Word History and Origins

Origin of uracil1

C20: from uro- 1+ acetic + -ile
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Ururaemia