Definition
A purine is an aromatic heterocyclic nitrogen compound, composed of a pyrimidine ring system fused to an imidazole ring system, with the core molecular formula C5H4N4. Purines are weakly basic compounds. Purines are stabilized by resonance among the atoms in the ring structure, which gives most of the bonds a partial double-bond character. As a result, purines are nearly planar molecules with a slight pucker and are characterized by a strong UV absorption typically near 260 nm. Purine bases may exist in different tautomeric forms depending on the pH. At neutral pH, purines are hydrophobic and therefore relatively insoluble. Substituted purines are components of ribonucleic acids (RNA), deoxyribonucleic acids (DNA), and coenzymes and are broadly distributed in nature.
Overview
Purines consist of a six-membered pyrimidine ring fused to a five-membered imidazole ring. Purines (along with pyrimidines) serve as the informational monomers of RNA and DNA, the molecular carriers of...
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References and Further Reading
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Callahan, M.P. (2023). Purine Bases. In: Gargaud, M., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-65093-6_1310
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-65093-6_1310
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