From Citizendium - Reading time: 1 min
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adenine
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IUPAC name:
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Synonyms:
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ADE, A, dA
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Formula:
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C5N5H5
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Uses:
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DNA RNA
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Properties:
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natural base
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Hazards:
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Adenine[1] is a naturally occurring base found in the nucleic acids DNA and RNA. When adenine is attached to a ribose or deoxyribose sugar, the complex is called adenosine. It is in this from that adenine is found in nucleic acids.
Adenine is also present in adenosine monophosphate (AMP), adenosine diphosphate (ADP), adenosine triphosphate (ATP), NADH and NADPH, chemicals involved in the energy cycle and oxidation reduction steps within biology cells.