thymine etymology

Etymology

  • Thymine (n.): mid 19th century (denoting a substance found in the thymus gland): from Greek thymus, from thyos, meaning "sacrifice" or "smoke."

Thymine, which is found in thymus tissue was named posthumously in 1893 by German chemist Albrecht Kossel, who incorrectly proposed that its structure was identical to the substance isolated from the thymus gland of calves in the 1880s.

Meaning

Thymine is a pyrimidine base (single-ring heterocyclic aromatic organic compound) found in DNA. It pairs with adenine through two hydrogen bonds, forming an A-T base pair.

Origin

Thymine was first isolated from calf tissue by German chemist Albrecht Kossel in 1893. It was later identified as a component of DNA by Erwin Chargaff in 1947.

thymine relate terms

  • thymus

    Etymology The word thymus is derived from the Greek word θύμος thūmos which me

  • thyme

    Etymology The word thyme comes from the Middle English thym which in turn comes from

  • aniline

    Etymology Ani derives from the Latin word indigum meaning indigo Aniline is a

  • deceit

    Etymology The word deceit originates from the Old French word deceit which in turn c

  • boast

    Etymology Old English boastan to brag threaten Proto West Germanic bōstijaną

  • pariah

    Etymology Latin paria equal match Old French parage lineage rank Middle Engl

  • vernacular

    Vernacular Etymology Meaning A folk or common sense etymology that is not based on histo

  • hamper

    Etymology Middle English hamper from Old French hanaper from Medieval Latin hanaperu

  • providence

    Etymology The word providence comes from the Latin word providentia which means fo

  • strange

    Etymology Strange Middle English strange from Old French estrange from Latin extra

  • ecumenical

    Etymology Greek oikoumenikos pertaining to the inhabited world From oikeo to