1. A colorless crystalline organic base, C5H4N4, that is the parent compound of various biologically important derivatives.
2. Any of a group of organic compounds derived from or structurally related to purine, including uric acid, caffeine, and the nucleic acid constituents adenine and guanine.

Excerpted from The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition Copyright © 1992 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Electronic version licensed from Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products N.V., further reproduction and distribution restricted in accordance with the Copyright Law of the United States. All rights reserved.

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