Thymidine: meaning, definitions and examples
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thymidine
[ ˈθaɪmɪdiːn ]
biochemistry, genetics
Thymidine is a nucleoside component of DNA, consisting of a thymine molecule attached to a deoxyribose sugar. It plays a crucial role in the structure of DNA and is essential for DNA replication and repair. Thymidine can also be found in certain biochemical reactions as an intermediate.
Synonyms
deoxythymidine, thymine nucleoside.
Examples of usage
- Thymidine is incorporated into the DNA strand during replication.
- The synthesis of thymidine is essential for cell division.
- Researchers studied the effects of thymidine on DNA repair mechanisms.
Etymology
The term 'thymidine' derives from 'thymine', which is one of the four nucleobases in the nucleic acid of DNA. Thymine itself was first isolated in the 1890s and was identified as one of the components of DNA later in the early 20th century. The suffix '-idine' comes from the Latin and Greek word roots indicating a relationship to nucleosides and sugars. Thymidine, specifically, was named in the early 1950s as scientists began to better understand the structure and function of DNA. Its importance became increasingly clear with the advances in molecular biology and genetics, particularly in the understanding of how genetic information is stored and transmitted through generations.