What does nucleic mean?
Nucleic is an adjective describing substances central to the storage and transmission of genetic information. It is most familiar in the phrase “nucleic acid,” a category that includes DNA and RNA. These molecules consist of linked nucleotide units and provide instructions for producing proteins and other cellular components. In medicine and biology, “nucleic acid testing” refers broadly to methods that detect or analyse genetic material, often to identify pathogens or examine inherited variations. The adjective also appears in technical descriptions of molecular structure, such as a nucleic acid sequence or probe. Although it is closely associated with the cell nucleus, “nucleic” does not mean “nuclear”: it refers to a class of biochemical molecules rather than to the nucleus itself. The term is consequently associated with genetics, molecular biology, forensic science and clinical diagnostics.
adjectiveRelating to or consisting of nucleic acids, the complex organic molecules that carry and transmit genetic information in living organisms.
- Relating to nucleic acids or to the molecular structures that store and transmit genetic information.
"Changes in the nucleic acid sequence can alter a protein's structure and function."
"The laboratory used nucleic acid testing to identify the pathogen."
"Researchers examined the nucleic acid sequence for evidence of a genetic mutation."
DNA's A, C, G, and T are only four letters, yet nucleic acids use them to write the operating instructions of life.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does nucleic come from?
The word nucleic was formed from the Latin nucleus, meaning “kernel,” with the suffix -ic, and belongs to the late-19th-century development of terminology for substances found in cell nuclei. It initially referred to nuclein, an acidic substance isolated from cellular nuclei that was later identified as the material associated with DNA. Its later sense expanded alongside the recognition of RNA and the development of the broader scientific concept of nucleic acids.
Related word forms
How nucleic is actually used
Technical and primarily scientific in register; it is not normally used in everyday speech.
Easily confused with nucleic
Nucleic refers to the molecules that carry genetic information, whereas nuclear refers to an atomic nucleus or something associated with the nucleus of a cell.