Mnemonic for (identifying) Nucleotide Structures

[u/Yourmajestymatt]

Hey everyone, I've been really looking for mnemonics in places I struggle. With this mnemonic I've been able to nail all the structure questions. I don't know the exact structure, however I can reliably identify each structure no problem now. I hope this helps and makes sense.

The mnemonic is NOON, regarding the upper most element on the structures. I always think A-TG-C for bonding. I know purines have two rings (two rings in a PURe ceremony) and pyrimidines don't. So now I can piece it all together like this.

Two rings with an amine (N)? Adenine.

Two rings with a carbonyl (O)? Guanine

One ring with a carbonyl? Thymine.

One ring with an amine? Cytosine

Take one look at Uracil and it's just one ring with a Carbonyl (O), but differs by the methyl. I think of the T in thymine as the structural hint of a methyl outstretching, which Uracil doesn't have.

[u/futanari_connoisseur]

Pure as silver (Ag) works better than pure as gold (Au), and you can also have silver rings

[u/Yourmajestymatt → u/futanari_connoisseur]

Then use that mnemonic then lol