Is Adenine an Amino Acid? Adenine vs Adenosine and Nucleotides
No—adenine is not an amino acid. Adenine is a purine nucleobase identified as CAS 73-24-5 and C5H5N5. Adenosine is a different molecule formed from adenine plus ribose. A nucleotide contains a base, a sugar and phosphate group(s). The distinction matters in search, research records and procurement because adenine, adenosine, AMP, ADP, ATP and adenine analogs are not interchangeable materials.
Adenine classification: the short answer
| Question | Answer | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Is adenine an amino acid? | No | ChEBI classifies it as a purine nucleobase and 6-aminopurine |
| Is adenine a protein? | No | Proteins are polymers of amino-acid residues; adenine is a nucleobase |
| Is adenine a nucleoside? | No | A nucleoside includes a base attached to a sugar |
| Is adenine a nucleotide? | No | A nucleotide includes a base, sugar and phosphate group(s) |
| Is adenine a purine? | Yes | Its fused-ring parent system is purine |
| Is adenine one of the DNA/RNA bases? | Yes | NHGRI lists adenine in the base sets of both DNA and RNA |
Why “amino” does not mean “amino acid”
Adenine’s systematic name, 9H-purin-6-amine, reflects an amino group attached to a purine ring. Having an amino group does not automatically make a molecule an amino acid. The ChEBI record defines adenine as the parent compound of the 6-aminopurines and identifies it as a purine nucleobase. Its formula, structure and chemical class differ from proteinogenic amino acids.
Public identity references: ChEBI CHEBI:16708, NIST Chemistry WebBook és PubChem CID 190.
Adenine vs adenosine vs nucleotide
| Entity | Composition | Example identity | Procurement warning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adenine | Purine base | CAS 73-24-5; C5H5N5 | Do not add sugar or phosphate identifiers to its specification |
| Adenosine | Adenine + ribose | CAS 58-61-7; a purine ribonucleoside | Not a synonym for adenine |
| Deoxyadenosine | Adenine + deoxyribose | A distinct deoxyribonucleoside | Different formula, CAS and analytical profile |
| AMP / ADP / ATP | Adenosine + one, two or three phosphate groups | Adenosine nucleotides | “Contains adenine” does not mean “is adenine” |
| Adenine analog or derivative | Chemically modified adenine-related structure | Many possible substances | Confirm the exact structure and CAS; never transfer pharmacology by family name |
ChEBI defines adenosine as a molecule of adenine attached to ribofuranose. NHGRI defines a nucleotide as a sugar attached to both a phosphate group and a nitrogen-containing base.
Adenine structure and formula
| CAS Registry Number | 73-24-5 |
|---|---|
| IUPAC name | 9H-purin-6-amine |
| Formula | C5H5N5 |
| Molekulatömeg | About 135.13 g/mol |
| PubChem CID | 190 |
| ChEBI ID | CHEBI:16708 |
| InChIKey | GFFGJBXGBJISGV-UHFFFAOYSA-N |
| ChEBI SMILES | Nc1ncnc2ncnc12 |
The formula contains five nitrogen atoms and no oxygen atoms. The oxygen in adenosine or ATP belongs to the attached sugar and phosphate components. A database formula is an identity field, not a current supplier assay, impurity profile or lot release result.
Adenine in DNA and RNA
NHGRI identifies adenine as one of the four bases in DNA and RNA. In double-stranded DNA, adenine bonds with thymine. In RNA, uracil is used instead of thymine in the base set. These statements explain the nucleobase’s biological context; they do not turn free Adenine CAS 73-24-5 into DNA, RNA, ATP, a supplement or a therapeutic product.
Common terminology mistakes to avoid
- Do not call adenine an amino acid merely because “amine” appears in its chemical name.
- Do not use adenine and adenosine as synonyms.
- Do not assign ATP’s energy-transfer role to free adenine as a health or performance benefit.
- Do not describe adenine as an antiviral because a different adenine analog or derivative has pharmacological activity.
- Do not use “Vitamin B4” to infer current vitamin, food, supplement or regulatory status.
- Do not treat generic melting point, solubility, appearance or hazard text from a webpage as the current Longchang specification or SDS.
Research and sourcing boundary
For a research reagent, synthesis input, medium component or other technical context, define the exact substance, intended protocol or transformation, purity/impurity needs, analytical methods and acceptance limits. A public database identity or literature mention does not establish grade, fitness, authorization or performance of a current commercial lot.
This page is not an SDS and does not give site-specific handling instructions. Request the current supplier SDS and combine it with the buyer’s local rules, process and risk assessment.
Use the correct Longchang page
- Read What is Adenine? Purine base, formula and role in DNA and RNA for the primary identity and biological-context answer.
- Use this page for “is adenine an amino acid,” formula-without-oxygen and adenine-versus-adenosine questions.
- Use the product page to request current specification, lot, document, sample and quotation information.
Request current Adenine documents
Open the Adenine CAS 73-24-5 product page to request the current specification, analytical methods, applicable lot COA, SDS status, sample availability, packaging, MOQ, current availability and confirmed lead time.
E-mail info@longchangchemical.com with the intended technical context, required tests and limits, quantity, packaging, destination and document requirements.