Term: nucleosides
https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.N04253

Definition:
Ribosyl or deoxyribosyl derivatives (rarely, other glycosyl derivatives) of certain pyrimidine or purine bases. They are thus glycosylamines or N-glycosides related to nucleotides by the lack of phosphorylation. It has also become customary to include among nucleosides analogous substances in which the glycosyl group is attached to carbon rather than nitrogen ('C-nucleosides').

Related Terms:
1) nucleic acids (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.N04245).
2) pyrimidine (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.P04958).
3) purine bases (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.P04953).
4) glycosylamines (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.G02663).
5) glycosides (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.G02661).
6) nucleotides (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.N04255).
7) phosphorylation (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.PT06790).
8) glycosyl group (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.G02665).

Source: PAC, 1995, 67, 1307. 'Glossary of class names of organic compounds and reactivity intermediates based on structure (IUPAC Recommendations 1995)' on page 1352 (https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199567081307)

Citation: 'nucleosides' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.N04253

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