* * *
2-Amino-6-oxypurine; one of the two major purines (the other being adenine) occurring in all nucleic acid s.
- g. aminase SYN: g. deaminase.
- g. deaminase a deaminase of the liver that catalyzes the hydrolysis of g. into xanthine and ammonia; the first step in purine degradation. SYN: guanase, g. aminase.
- g. deoxyribonucleotide SYN: deoxyguanylic acid.
- g. ribonucleotide SYN: guanylic acid.
* * *
gua·nine 'gwän-.ēn n a purine base C5H5N5O that codes genetic information in the polynucleotide chain of DNA or RNA compare ADENINE, CYTOSINE, THYMINE, URACIL
* * *
n.
* * *
gua·nine (gwahґnēn) a purine base, in animal and plant cells usually occurring condensed with ribose or deoxyribose to form the nucleosides guanosine and deoxyguanosine; these nucleosides are components of nucleic acids and of free nucleotides important in metabolism. Symbol G. See also illustration of purine and pyrimidine bases, under base.Medical dictionary. 2011.