Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Complementary base pairing refers to the phenomenon where certain types of nitrogenous bases bond specifically with others. For example, Adenine always bonds with Thymine (in DNA) or Uracil (in RNA), while Guanine always bonds with Cytosine.
Related terms
Hydrogen Bonding: The type of chemical bond that holds together the two strands of a DNA molecule by connecting their respective bases.
Double Helix Structure: The twisted ladder-like structure formed by two strands of nucleotides bonded together through complementary base pairing.
Watson-Crick Model: The model proposed by James Watson and Francis Crick explaining the double helix structure of DNA based on complementary base pairing.