cytosine

Noun
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A nitrogen-containing base found in DNA and RNA, where it pairs with guanine and helps encode genetic information in cells.

Detailed Definition
Cytosine is another nucleic-acid base, paired with guanine in DNA. The poem includes it to name the chemical components of genetic structure.
Example
Example in poetry:
“Adenine with thymine, guanine with cytosine” names one of DNA’s paired bases; “Cytosine kept its small blue secret in the helix” lets scientific vocabulary enter lyric imagery; A poem may use cytosine to connect inheritance, illness, kinship, or molecular pattern; Its precise sound can contrast productively with emotional or natural language
Additional Notes
The quoted line uses a specialized scientific term that many readers would need to look up.; Found in the poem, The Double Helix by Richard
Also Known As
C nucleobase genetic letter pyrimidine
Skip to main content