inosine

noun

ino·sine ˈi-nə-ˌsēn ˈī-

-sən

: a nucleoside C₁₀H₁₂N₄O₅ that is composed of hypoxanthine and ribose, that in the form of its monophosphate is a biosynthetic precursor of both AMP and its guanosine analog, and that binds to adenine, cytosine, or uracil especially in some transfer RNAs

Examples of inosine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Although not one of the canonical RNA bases, inosine is read by the cell’s protein-translation machinery as the familiar guanosine. — Sara Reardon, Scientific American, 5 Feb. 2020 As Bass and a colleague discovered in the late 1980s, cells often replace one building block in their mRNA molecules, adenosine, with another molecule known as inosine. — Bymitch Leslie, science.org, 24 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary inosinic acid (the acid C₁₀H₁₃N₄O₈P; inosinic, from Greek in-, is sinew + International Scientific Vocabulary -ose entry 2 + -in entry 1 + -ic entry 1) + -ine entry 2

First Known Use

1911, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of inosine was in 1911

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inosilicate

inosine

inositol

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Style

“Inosine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inosine. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Medical Definition

inosine

noun

ino·sine ˈin-ə-ˌsēn ˈī-nə-

-sən

: a crystalline nucleoside C₁₀H₁₂N₄O₅ that is composed of hypoxanthine and ribose, that in the form of its monophosphate is a biosynthetic precursor of both AMP and its guanosine analog, and that binds to adenine, cytosine, or uracil especially in some transfer RNAs

inosine

noun

Examples of inosine in a Sentence

Word History

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Medical Definition

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