Uracil
Definition
Uracil is a nitrogenous base found only in RNA. It replaces thymine from DNA and pairs with adenine.
Analogy
Imagine uracil as a substitute teacher who steps in when the regular teacher (thymine) is away. The class (RNA) can still function because the substitute (uracil) does a similar job to the regular teacher.
Related terms
Ribonucleic Acid (RNA): A molecule similar to DNA but contains ribose as its sugar and uses uracil instead of thymine.
Transcription: The process where genetic information in DNA is rewritten into RNA using base pairing rules, including adenine pairing with uracil.
Messenger RNA (mRNA): A type of RNA that carries instructions from DNA for controlling the synthesis of proteins.
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