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Adenine is a nucleobase
Nucleobase

Nucleobases are the parts of DNA and RNA that may be involved in pairing . The main ones are cytosine, guanine, adenine , thymine and uracil , abbreviated as C, G, A, T, and U, respectively....
 (a purine
Purine

Purine is a heterocyclic compound aromatic organic compound, consisting of a pyrimidine ring fused to an imidazole ring. Purines, including substituted purines and their tautomers, are the most widely distributed kind of nitrogen-containing heterocycle in nature....
 derivative) with a variety of roles in biochemistry
Biochemistry

Biochemistry is the study of the chemistry processes in living organisms. It deals with the structure and function of cellular components such as proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids and other biomolecules....
 including cellular respiration
Cellular respiration

Cellular respiration is the set of the metabolism reactions and processes that take place in organisms' cell s to convert Energy from nutrients into adenosine triphosphate , and then release waste products....
, in the form of both the energy-rich adenosine triphosphate
Adenosine triphosphate

This article is about the chemical used by cells as an energy carrier. For other uses, see ATP .Adenosine-5'-triphosphate is a multifunctional nucleotide, and plays an important role in cell biology as a coenzyme that is the "molecule unit of currency" of intracellular energy transfer....
 (ATP) and the cofactor
Cofactor (biochemistry)

A cofactor is a non-protein chemical compound that is bound to an enzyme and is required for catalysis. They can be considered "helper molecules/ions" that assist in biochemical transformations....
s nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, abbreviated NAD+, is a coenzyme found in all living cell s. The compound is a dinucleotide, since it consists of two nucleotides joined through their phosphate groups: with one nucleotide containing an adenine base, and the other containing nicotinamide....
 (NAD) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), and protein synthesis
Protein biosynthesis

Protein synthesis is the process in which cell build proteins. The term is sometimes used to refer only to protein translation but more often it refers to a multi-step process, beginning with amino acid synthesis and transcription which are then used for translation ....
, as a chemical component of DNA
DNA

Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetics instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms and some viruses....
 and RNA
RNA

Ribonucleic acid is a type of molecule that consists of a long chain of nucleotide units. Each nucleotide consists of a nucleobase, a ribose sugar, and a phosphate....
. The shape of adenine is complementary to either thymine
Thymine

Thymine is one of the four bases in the nucleic acid of DNA that make up the letters GCAT. The others are adenine, guanine, and cytosine. Thymine always pairs with adenine....
 in DNA
DNA

Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetics instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms and some viruses....
 or uracil
Uracil

Uracil is a common and naturally occurring pyrimidine derivative. Originally discovered in 1900, it was isolated by hydrolysis of yeast nuclein that was found in bovine thymus and spleen, herring, sperm, and wheat germ....
 in RNA
RNA

Ribonucleic acid is a type of molecule that consists of a long chain of nucleotide units. Each nucleotide consists of a nucleobase, a ribose sugar, and a phosphate....
.

orms several tautomers, compounds that can be rapidly interconverted and are often considered equivalent.

Purine metabolism
Purine metabolism

Many organisms have metabolic pathways to synthesize and break down purines....
 involves the formation of Adenine and Guanine
Guanine

Guanine is one of the five main nucleobases found in the nucleic acids DNA and RNA, the others being adenine, cytosine, thymine, and uracil. In DNA, guanine is paired with cytosine....
.






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Adenine is a nucleobase
Nucleobase

Nucleobases are the parts of DNA and RNA that may be involved in pairing . The main ones are cytosine, guanine, adenine , thymine and uracil , abbreviated as C, G, A, T, and U, respectively....
 (a purine
Purine

Purine is a heterocyclic compound aromatic organic compound, consisting of a pyrimidine ring fused to an imidazole ring. Purines, including substituted purines and their tautomers, are the most widely distributed kind of nitrogen-containing heterocycle in nature....
 derivative) with a variety of roles in biochemistry
Biochemistry

Biochemistry is the study of the chemistry processes in living organisms. It deals with the structure and function of cellular components such as proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids and other biomolecules....
 including cellular respiration
Cellular respiration

Cellular respiration is the set of the metabolism reactions and processes that take place in organisms' cell s to convert Energy from nutrients into adenosine triphosphate , and then release waste products....
, in the form of both the energy-rich adenosine triphosphate
Adenosine triphosphate

This article is about the chemical used by cells as an energy carrier. For other uses, see ATP .Adenosine-5'-triphosphate is a multifunctional nucleotide, and plays an important role in cell biology as a coenzyme that is the "molecule unit of currency" of intracellular energy transfer....
 (ATP) and the cofactor
Cofactor (biochemistry)

A cofactor is a non-protein chemical compound that is bound to an enzyme and is required for catalysis. They can be considered "helper molecules/ions" that assist in biochemical transformations....
s nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, abbreviated NAD+, is a coenzyme found in all living cell s. The compound is a dinucleotide, since it consists of two nucleotides joined through their phosphate groups: with one nucleotide containing an adenine base, and the other containing nicotinamide....
 (NAD) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), and protein synthesis
Protein biosynthesis

Protein synthesis is the process in which cell build proteins. The term is sometimes used to refer only to protein translation but more often it refers to a multi-step process, beginning with amino acid synthesis and transcription which are then used for translation ....
, as a chemical component of DNA
DNA

Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetics instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms and some viruses....
 and RNA
RNA

Ribonucleic acid is a type of molecule that consists of a long chain of nucleotide units. Each nucleotide consists of a nucleobase, a ribose sugar, and a phosphate....
. The shape of adenine is complementary to either thymine
Thymine

Thymine is one of the four bases in the nucleic acid of DNA that make up the letters GCAT. The others are adenine, guanine, and cytosine. Thymine always pairs with adenine....
 in DNA
DNA

Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetics instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms and some viruses....
 or uracil
Uracil

Uracil is a common and naturally occurring pyrimidine derivative. Originally discovered in 1900, it was isolated by hydrolysis of yeast nuclein that was found in bovine thymus and spleen, herring, sperm, and wheat germ....
 in RNA
RNA

Ribonucleic acid is a type of molecule that consists of a long chain of nucleotide units. Each nucleotide consists of a nucleobase, a ribose sugar, and a phosphate....
.

Structure

It forms several tautomers, compounds that can be rapidly interconverted and are often considered equivalent.

Biosynthesis

The Purine metabolism
Purine metabolism

Many organisms have metabolic pathways to synthesize and break down purines....
 involves the formation of Adenine and Guanine
Guanine

Guanine is one of the five main nucleobases found in the nucleic acids DNA and RNA, the others being adenine, cytosine, thymine, and uracil. In DNA, guanine is paired with cytosine....
. Both adenine and guanine are derived from the nucleotide inosine monophosphate (IMP), which is synthesised on a pre-existing ribose
Ribose

Ribose, primarily occurring as D-ribose, is an organic compound that occurs widely in nature. It is an aldopentose, that is a monosaccharide containing five carbon atoms that, in its acyclic form, has an aldehyde functional group at one end....
 through a complex pathway using atoms from the amino acids glycine
Glycine

Glycine is the organic compound with the chemical formula NH2CH2COOH. It is the smallest of the 20 amino acids commonly found in proteins, coded by codons GGU, GGC, GGA and GGG....
, glutamine
Glutamine

Glutamine is one of the 20 amino acids encoded by the standard genetic code. Its side chain is an amide formed by replacing the side-chain hydroxyl of glutamic acid with an amine functional group....
, and aspartic acid
Aspartic acid

Aspartic acid is an a-amino acid with the chemical formula HO2CCHCH2CO2H. The carboxylate anion of aspartic acid is known as aspartate....
, as well as formate ions transferred from the coenzyme tetrahydrofolate.

Function

Adenine is one of the two purine nucleobase
Nucleobase

Nucleobases are the parts of DNA and RNA that may be involved in pairing . The main ones are cytosine, guanine, adenine , thymine and uracil , abbreviated as C, G, A, T, and U, respectively....
s (the other being guanine
Guanine

Guanine is one of the five main nucleobases found in the nucleic acids DNA and RNA, the others being adenine, cytosine, thymine, and uracil. In DNA, guanine is paired with cytosine....
) used in forming nucleotide
Nucleotide

Nucleotides are molecules that comprise the structural units of RNA and DNA. Additionally, nucleotides play central roles in metabolism. In that capacity, they serve as sources of chemical energy , participate in cell signaling , and are incorporated into important cofactors of enzymatic reactions ....
s of the nucleic acid
Nucleic acid

A nucleic acid is a macromolecule composed of chains of monomeric nucleotides. In biochemistry these molecules carry genetic information or form structures within Cell ....
s. In DNA, adenine binds to thymine
Thymine

Thymine is one of the four bases in the nucleic acid of DNA that make up the letters GCAT. The others are adenine, guanine, and cytosine. Thymine always pairs with adenine....
 via two hydrogen bonds to assist in stabilizing the nucleic acid structures. In RNA, which is used in the cytoplasm
Cytoplasm

The cytoplasm is the part of a Cell that is enclosed within the plasma membrane. In eukaryote cells the cytoplasm contains organelles, such as mitochondrion, that are filled with liquid kept separate from the rest of the cytoplasm by biological membranes....
 for protein synthesis
Protein biosynthesis

Protein synthesis is the process in which cell build proteins. The term is sometimes used to refer only to protein translation but more often it refers to a multi-step process, beginning with amino acid synthesis and transcription which are then used for translation ....
, adenine binds to uracil
Uracil

Uracil is a common and naturally occurring pyrimidine derivative. Originally discovered in 1900, it was isolated by hydrolysis of yeast nuclein that was found in bovine thymus and spleen, herring, sperm, and wheat germ....
.

Adenine forms adenosine
Adenosine

Adenosine is a nucleoside composed of a molecule of adenine attached to a ribose sugar molecule moiety via a ?-N9-glycosidic bond....
, a nucleoside
Nucleoside

Nucleosides are glycosylamines consisting of a nucleobase bound to a ribose or deoxyribose sugar. Examples of these include cytidine, uridine, adenosine, guanosine, thymidine and inosine....
, when attached to ribose
Ribose

Ribose, primarily occurring as D-ribose, is an organic compound that occurs widely in nature. It is an aldopentose, that is a monosaccharide containing five carbon atoms that, in its acyclic form, has an aldehyde functional group at one end....
, and deoxyadenosine
Deoxyadenosine

Deoxyadenosine is deoxyribonucleoside and is considered a Derivative of the nucleoside adenosine, differing from the latter by the replacement of a hydroxyl group by hydrogen at the Nucleic acid nomenclature position of its ribose sugar moiety....
 when attached to deoxyribose
Deoxyribose

Deoxyribose, also known as D-Deoxyribose and 2-deoxyribose, is an aldopentose — a monosaccharide containing five carbon atoms, and including an aldehyde functional group in its linear structure....
. It forms adenosine triphosphate
Adenosine triphosphate

This article is about the chemical used by cells as an energy carrier. For other uses, see ATP .Adenosine-5'-triphosphate is a multifunctional nucleotide, and plays an important role in cell biology as a coenzyme that is the "molecule unit of currency" of intracellular energy transfer....
 (ATP), a nucleotide
Nucleotide

Nucleotides are molecules that comprise the structural units of RNA and DNA. Additionally, nucleotides play central roles in metabolism. In that capacity, they serve as sources of chemical energy , participate in cell signaling , and are incorporated into important cofactors of enzymatic reactions ....
, when three phosphate groups are added to adenosine. Adenosine triphosphate is used in cellular metabolism as one of the basic methods of transferring chemical energy between chemical reactions.

History

In older literature, adenine was sometimes called Vitamin B4. It is no longer considered a true vitamin or part of the Vitamin B complex. However, two B vitamins, niacin
Niacin

Niacin, also known as vitamin B3, is a water-soluble vitamin which prevents the Nutrition disorder pellagra. It is an organic compound with the chemical formula C6H5NO2....
 and riboflavin
Riboflavin

Riboflavin , also known as vitamin B2, is an easily absorbed micronutrient with a key role in maintaining health in humans and animals....
, bind with adenine to form the essential cofactors nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, abbreviated NAD+, is a coenzyme found in all living cell s. The compound is a dinucleotide, since it consists of two nucleotides joined through their phosphate groups: with one nucleotide containing an adenine base, and the other containing nicotinamide....
 (NAD) and flavin adenine dinucleotide
FAD

In biochemistry, flavin adenine dinucleotide is a redox Cofactor involved in several important reactions in metabolism. FAD can exist in two different redox states and its biochemical role usually involves changing between these two states....
 (FAD), respectively. Hermann Emil Fischer
Hermann Emil Fischer

Hermann Emil Fischer was a Germany chemist and recipient of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1902....
 was one of the early scientist to study Adenine.

Some think that, at the origin of life on Earth
Earth

Earth is the third planet from the Sun. Earth is the largest of the terrestrial planets in the Solar System in diameter, mass and density. It is also referred to as the World and Wiktionary:Terra.Note that by International Astronomical Union convention, the term "Terra" is used for naming extensive land masses, rather...
, the first adenine was formed by the polymerization
Polymerization

In polymer chemistry, polymerization is a process of reacting monomer molecules together in a chemical reaction to form three-dimensional networks or polymer chains....
 of five hydrogen cyanide
Hydrogen cyanide

Hydrogen cyanide is a chemical compound with chemical formula HCN. A solution of hydrogen cyanide in water is called hydrocyanic acid. Hydrogen cyanide is a colorless, extremely poisonous, and highly volatility liquid that boiling slightly above room temperature at 26 Celsius ....
 (HCN) molecules. However, this has been criticized by some chemists.