Base Pair

{
  "id": "MLC-T-ENV-002780",
  "term": "Base Pair",
  "field": "Environment",
  "definition": "1. The pair of nitrogenous bases, consisting of a purine linked by hydrogen bonds to a pyrimidine, that connects the complementary strands of DNA or of hybrid molecules joining DNA and RNA. The base pairs are adenine-thymine and guanine-cytosine in DNA, and adenine-uracil and guanine-cytosine in RNA.\n\n2. Two nitrogenous bases (adenine and thymine or guanine and cytosine) held together by weak bonds. Two strands of DNA are held together in the shape of a double helix by the bonds between base pairs.\n\n3. A base pair is two chemical bases bonded to one another forming a \"rung of the DNA ladder.\" The DNA molecule consists of two strands that wind around each other like a twisted ladder. Each strand has a backbone made of alternating sugar (deoxyribose) and phosphate groups. Attached to each sugar is one of four bases--adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), or thymine (T). The two strands are held together by hydrogen bonds between the bases, with adenine forming a base pair with thymine, and cytosine forming a base pair with guanine.",
  "references": [
    "EPA Quality Assurance/Quality Control Guidance for Laboratories Performing PCR Analyses on Environmental Samples Glossary at http://www.epa.gov/nerlcwww/qa_qc_pcr10_04.pdf",
    "DOE Human Genome Project Information Genome Glossary",
    "NIH Genetics Home Reference Glossary"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/environment/base-pair/"
}