Definition of Pyrimidine

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Pyrimidine is a compound which is composed of a six-membered ring made up of carbon and nitrogen atoms. There are two nitrogen atoms in the aromatic ring of pyrimidine. The pyrimidine ring is smaller in size as compared to the purine ring. The pyrimidine rings are soluble in water only at a certain temperature.

 

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The biosynthesis of the pyrimidines takes place in a number of tissues and the end products of their metabolism are ammonia, carbon dioxide and β-amino acids. The nucleotides that make up the DNA and RNA are composed of nitrogenous bases which maybe purine or pyrimidine in nature.

 

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Example of Pyrimidine:

Cytosine, Thymine, and uracil are the pyrimidine bases that form the structure of DNA and RNA molecules.