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guanosine

guanosine

1 8.8
A chemical in RNA and sometimes DNA made of guanine joined to a sugar
  • noun
  • /ɡwɑːnəˌsiːn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : guanosina
  • The medication works by influencing levels of guanosine in the body, promoting better cellular communication.
  • guanosine monophosphate

And when that shape is quite different, if it's bound to guanosine diphosphate or triphosphate.

Examples

  • Guanosine is an important component of guanosine RNA, where it pairs with cytosine during the transcription process.

  • Then it simply stimulates a particle guanylate cyclase to generate cyclic guanosine monophosphate.

    Blog text (34)
  • The exchange is catalyzed by a guanosine exchange factor (a RasGEF) and the reverse process by a GTPase-activating protein (a RasGAP).

    Academic text (2012)
  • The 15 nucleotides fold into a three-dimensional shape bound not by base pairs, but by two quartets of guanosines forming hydrogen bonds with each other.

    Academic text (1993)
  • The scientists looked for three nucleotides in breast milk (adenosine, guanosine, and uridine), which excite or relax the central nervous system, promoting restfulness and sleep, and observed how these varied throughout a 24-hour period.

    Blog text (28)
  • In the laboratory, scientists often study guanosine to understand its role in cell signaling.

Surface Forms

guanosine singular
guanosines plural

Morphology

guanosine = guanine (semi-transparent) = guanine + osine

The word denotes the nucleoside of guanine (guanine + a ribose unit) following a specialised biochemical naming pattern that involves a spelling change, so the relation is clear to those with domain knowledge but not to general learners.

Etymology

Guanosine comes from the base guanine, and guanine was named after guano, a word for 'bird droppings' because scientists first found the chemical there. Guanosine is just guanine joined to a sugar in RNA, so remembering the base's odd source helps you recall that guanosine is the guanine part of a nucleic acid.