from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
nucleoside \nucleoside\ n. (Biochem.)
A type of molecule found in all living organisms, present
mostly in chemically combined form as a component of nucleic
acids, and also in smaller amounts in free form, consisting
of a pentose sugar bound to a purine or pyrimidine base; two
types of nucleoside, {ribonucleoside} and
{deoxyribonucleoside}, are present. The most common bases
present in nucleosides are adenine, cytosine, uracil,
guanine, and thymine, and to a lesser extent hypoxanthine and
other bases are found. The most commmon ribonucleosides
composed from these bases are called adenosine, cytidine,
uridine, and guanosine. The forms esterified with
orthophosphoric at the 5-position of the pentose are called
nucleotides. The nucleotides form the monomer units which are
combined into DNA and RNA, which carry the genetic
information required for reproduction in all known organisms.
[PJC]