nucleotide

noun

nu·​cle·​o·​tide ˈnü-klē-ə-ˌtīd How to pronounce nucleotide (audio)
ˈnyü-
: any of several compounds that consist of a ribose or deoxyribose sugar joined to a purine or pyrimidine base and to a phosphate group and that are the basic structural units of nucleic acids (such as RNA and DNA) compare nucleoside

Examples of nucleotide in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The mutation is a switch of a single nucleotide, or base, (often represented by letters A, C, T, and G). Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 8 Dec. 2023 Introduction Sutherland’s team is still working to show that the other two types of nucleotides can be made from the RNA precursor molecule. Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 6 Sep. 2023 The human genome is made up of 6.4 billion molecules, called nucleotides, which are arranged in pairs. WIRED, 21 Sep. 2023 Furthermore, recent studies reveal that the variation between any two individuals is very small, on the order of one single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), or single letter change in our DNA, per 1,000. Alan Goodman, Discover Magazine, 25 June 2020 In some parts of the chromosome, its component parts—nucleotides—were very similar across the men. Popular Science, 23 Aug. 2023 Given that the genome has 3 billion nucleotides, there will be no way to experimentally measure the effect of a variant in each position in all cells in every circumstance. The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 9 Aug. 2023 Would-be producers will need technical know-how, regulatory controls, and components that are currently in very short supply, such as nucleotides and lipids. Peter J. Hotez, Foreign Affairs, 10 May 2021 Both Margus and Yu hope that some of this remaining population will be responsive to other genetic technologies, like nucleotide base editors and siRNAs. Bree Iskandar, STAT, 12 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nucleotide.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary, irregular from nucle- + -ide

First Known Use

1908, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nucleotide was in 1908

Dictionary Entries Near nucleotide

Cite this Entry

“Nucleotide.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nucleotide. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

nucleotide

noun
nu·​cle·​o·​tide ˈn(y)ü-klē-ə-ˌtīd How to pronounce nucleotide (audio)
: any of the basic units of structure of DNA or RNA that consist of a base (as adenine, cytosine, guanine, or thymine) joined to a sugar (as deoxyribose) with five carbon atoms in a molecule and to a phosphate group

Medical Definition

nucleotide

noun
nu·​cle·​o·​tide ˈn(y)ü-klē-ə-ˌtīd How to pronounce nucleotide (audio)
: any of several compounds that consist of a ribose or deoxyribose sugar joined to a purine or pyrimidine base and to a phosphate group and that are the basic structural units of RNA and DNA compare nucleoside

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