A base pair refers to two bases
which form a "rung of the DNA ladder."
A DNA nucleotide is made of a molecule
of sugar, a molecule of phosphoric acid, and a molecule
called a base. The bases are the "letters" that spell out the
genetic code. In DNA, the code letters are A, T, G, and C, which
stand for the chemicals adenine, thymine, guanine, and cytosine,
respectively. In base pairing, adenine always pairs with
thymine, and guanine always pairs with cytosine.
Source: definition from the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
Glossary of Genetic Terms.
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