Q. 17.96 - An Introduction to General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry

Question

How do the bases cytosine and uracil differ?

Step-by-Step Solution

Answer

The primary difference between cytosine and uracil is that in cytosine, the fourth carbon in the ring is attached to an amine group, whereas in uracil, the fourth carbon is attached to an oxygen atom.

Step 1: Given information

We need to find the difference between cytosine and uracil .

Step 2: Explanation

The structure for cytosine is given below

 

The structure for uracil is given below

The difference between the two structures is that in cytosine, the fourth carbon in the ring is coupled to an amine group, whereas in uracil, it is connected to an oxygen atom.