What does ribonucleotide mean?
A ribonucleotide is one of the basic nucleotide units used to build ribonucleic acid, or RNA. Each ribonucleotide contains a ribose sugar, a phosphate group, and one of four nitrogenous bases: adenine, cytosine, guanine, or uracil. RNA synthesis proceeds by linking these units together, with complementary pairing determining which unit is added next. The term can also refer to related molecules containing ribose, such as the adenosine triphosphate that supplies energy to cells. Ribonucleotides are therefore central both to the storage and transmission of genetic information and to many essential cellular reactions. The word is primarily used in biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, and related technical fields. In ordinary writing, ribonucleotide is less common than the broader term nucleotide, but it is the precise term when the ribose component must be specified.
nounA nucleotide whose sugar component is ribose, found in RNA and in certain coenzyme molecules. Ribonucleotides may contain adenine, cytosine, guanine, or uracil as their nitrogenous base.
- A nucleotide containing ribose sugar, typically one of the monomers that make up RNA.
"The ribonucleotide building blocks are joined together to form RNA."
"During transcription, ribonucleotides are added to a growing RNA strand according to the sequence of the DNA template."
"The cell regulates the availability of ribonucleotides needed for RNA synthesis."
Used when referring to multiple nucleotide units or types.
"The four ribonucleotides that make up RNA are complementary to the bases in DNA."
Ribonucleotides are the molecular building blocks of RNA—and also of energy-carrying molecules such as ATP.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does ribonucleotide come from?
The word combines the element “ribo-,” referring to ribose, with “nucleotide,” the scientific term for a molecule composed of a nitrogenous base, sugar, and phosphate. The use of “ribo-” to distinguish ribose-containing nucleotides from deoxyribonucleotides reflects the development of molecular biology in the twentieth century, when the structural distinction between RNA and DNA was established. Ribose itself is named from the earlier chemical term ribose, a sugar associated with sugar cane.
Related word forms
How ribonucleotide is actually used
This is a technical biochemistry and molecular biology term. In general biological usage, it most often refers to the nucleotide units of RNA, although the term also applies to ribonucleotides outside RNA.
Easily confused with ribonucleotide
A ribonucleotide contains ribose sugar, as in RNA, whereas a deoxyribonucleotide contains deoxyribose sugar, as in DNA.
A nucleotide is the general class containing a sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base; a ribonucleotide is specifically one with ribose sugar.