uracil

u·ra·cil  (yr-sl)

n. Abbr. U

A pyrimidine base, C₄H₄N₂O₂, that is an essential constituent of RNA.

---

[ur(ea) + ac(etic) + -il, substance relating to.]

---

uracil  (yr-sl)

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: C₄H₄N₂O₂.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

uracil - a base containing nitrogen that is found in RNA (but not in DNA) and derived from pyrimidine; pairs with adenine U ribonucleic acid, RNA - (biochemistry) a long linear polymer of nucleotides found in the nucleus but mainly in the cytoplasm of a cell where it is associated with microsomes; it transmits genetic information from DNA to the cytoplasm and controls certain chemical processes in the cell; "ribonucleic acid is the genetic material of some viruses" nucleotide, base - a phosphoric ester of a nucleoside; the basic structural unit of nucleic acids (DNA or RNA)