base pair
1 of 2noun
plural base pairs
: one of the pairs of nucleotide bases on complementary strands of nucleic acid that consist of a purine on one strand joined to a pyrimidine on the other strand by hydrogen bonds holding together the two strands much like the rungs of a ladder and that include adenine linked to thymine in DNA or to uracil in RNA and guanine linked to cytosine in both DNA and RNA
base pair
2 of 2verb
variants or base-pair
ˈbās-ˌper 
base paired or base-paired; base pairing or base-pairing; base pairs or base-pairs
intransitive verb
: to participate in formation of a base pair
adenine base-pairs with thymine
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web
Lars Fischer, Scientific American, 18 Aug. 2022 On Thursday, researchers officially published the 3.055-billion base pair (bp) sequence in the journal Science. Manasee Wagh, Popular Mechanics, 1 Apr. 2022 The work heralds a new era in comparative genomics: Previously, researchers studied collections of genes from different lineages and described the changes one base pair at a time. Quanta Magazine, 2 Feb. 2022 Today Twist charges nine cents a base pair for DNA, a nearly tenfold decrease from the industry standard a decade ago. New York Times, 24 Nov. 2021 The PacBio tech uses lasers to examine 20,000 base pair sequences of DNA at a time repeatedly to create a highly accurate readout, reports STAT. Elizabeth Gamillo, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 June 2021 So far treating sickle cell via base pair editing has only been shown to work in mice, not humans. Leah Rosenbaum, Forbes, 2 June 2021 By contrast, the thyroid cancers in the Cancer Genome Atlas and in the control group of 81 unexposed people from the area were more likely to be caused by single-point mutations, where just one single base pair of the DNA is changed. Sara Harrison, Wired, 26 Apr. 2021 Snowshoes are meant to be worn with a base pair of boots. Lauren Levy, NBC News, 24 Feb. 2021 See More
Noun
Such an altered base pair, known as a tautomer, can quickly jump back to its original arrangement. Lars Fischer, Scientific American, 18 Aug. 2022 On Thursday, researchers officially published the 3.055-billion base pair (bp) sequence in the journal Science. Manasee Wagh, Popular Mechanics, 1 Apr. 2022 The work heralds a new era in comparative genomics: Previously, researchers studied collections of genes from different lineages and described the changes one base pair at a time. Quanta Magazine, 2 Feb. 2022 Today Twist charges nine cents a base pair for DNA, a nearly tenfold decrease from the industry standard a decade ago. New York Times, 24 Nov. 2021 The PacBio tech uses lasers to examine 20,000 base pair sequences of DNA at a time repeatedly to create a highly accurate readout, reports STAT. Elizabeth Gamillo, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 June 2021 So far treating sickle cell via base pair editing has only been shown to work in mice, not humans. Leah Rosenbaum, Forbes, 2 June 2021 By contrast, the thyroid cancers in the Cancer Genome Atlas and in the control group of 81 unexposed people from the area were more likely to be caused by single-point mutations, where just one single base pair of the DNA is changed. Sara Harrison, Wired, 26 Apr. 2021 Snowshoes are meant to be worn with a base pair of boots. Lauren Levy, NBC News, 24 Feb. 2021 See More Word History
First Known Use
Noun
1955, in the meaning defined above
Verb
1959, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
base pair 1 of 2
noun
-ˈpa(ə)r, -ˈpe(ə)r
: one of the pairs of nucleotide bases on complementary strands of nucleic acid that consist of a purine on one strand joined to a pyrimidine on the other strand by hydrogen bonds holding together the two strands much like the rungs of a ladder and that include adenine linked to thymine in DNA or to uracil in RNA and guanine linked to cytosine in both DNA and RNA
base pair
2 of 2intransitive verb
variants or base-pair
: to participate in formation of a base pair
adenine base pairs with thymine