GRE Subject Test: Chemistry › Nucleic Acids
Of the following groups of nitrogenous bases, which does not contain a purine?
Cytosine, thymine, uracil
Thymine, adenine, cytosine
Adenine, guanine, thymine
Guanine, uracil, adenine
Cytosine, thymine, guanine
We can use the mnemonic "PurAG" to remember that the purines are adenine and guanine. The only choice that does not contain a purine, therefore, is "cytosine, thymine, and uracil." Remember, pyrimidines contain a single ring, while purines have two.