biochemistry - the organic chemistry of compounds and processes occuring in organisms; the effort to understand biology within the context of chemistry

ribose - a pentose sugar important as a component of ribonucleic acid

adenine, A - (biochemistry) purine base found in DNA and RNA; pairs with thymine in DNA and with uracil in RNA

cytosine, C - a base found in DNA and RNA and derived from pyrimidine; pairs with guanine

informational RNA, messenger RNA, mRNA, template RNA - the template for protein synthesis; the form of RNA that carries information from DNA in the nucleus to the ribosome sites of protein synthesis in the cell

nRNA, nuclear RNA - ribonucleic acid found in the nucleolus of the cell

acceptor RNA, soluble RNA, transfer RNA, tRNA - short-chain RNA molecules present in the cell (in at least 20 varieties, each variety capable of combining with a specific amino acid) that attach the correct amino acid to the protein chain that is being synthesized at the ribosome of the cell (according to directions coded in the mRNA)

guanine, G - a purine base found in DNA and RNA; pairs with cytosine

nucleic acid - (biochemistry) any of various macromolecules composed of nucleotid chains that are vital constituents of all living cells

polymer - a naturally occurring or synthetic compound consisting of large molecules made up of a linked series of repeated simple monomers

U, uracil - a nitrogen-containing base found in RNA (but not in DNA) and derived from pyrimidine; pairs with adenine