pyrimidine

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pyrimidine

chemical compound

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Organic Chemistry - Pyrimidine synthesis
Netbiochem - Purine and Pyrimidine Metabolism

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Category: Science & Tech

Related Topics:: beta-aminoisobutyric acid excretion; cytosine; uracil; thymine; barbituric acid

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pyrimidine, any of a class of organic compounds of the heterocyclic series characterized by a ring structure composed of four carbon atoms and two nitrogen atoms. The simplest member of the family is pyrimidine itself, with molecular formula C₄H₄N₂.

Several pyrimidine compounds were isolated between 1837 and 1864, but their structures were not recognized until 1868. Some well-known pyrimidine compounds include cytosine, thymine, and uracil, present in nucleic acids; thiamine (vitamin B₁); and sulfadiazine, sulfamerazine, and sulfamethazine, drugs used in therapy of bacterial and viral diseases.