THYMINE FOR BIOCHEMISTRY
Thymine (T) is a pyrimidine nucleobase, which pairs with adenine (A), a purine nucleobase. They are joined together as a base pair by two hydrogen bonds, which stabilize the nucleic acid structures in DNA.
Thymine, which is often abbreviated as T or Thy, can also be referred to as 5-methyluracil. Thymine is one of the pyrimidine bases found in the nucleic acid of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), along with adenine, guanine, and cytosine
In DNA, thymine (T) binds to adenine (A) via two hydrogen bonds, thereby stabilizing the nucleic acid structures. Thymine combined with deoxyribose creates the nucleoside deoxythymidine, which is synonymous with the term thymidine.
DNA uses thymine instead of uracil because thymine has greater resistance to photochemical mutation, making the genetic message more stable. This is necessary for holding all of the information needed for life to function.
