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DNA Has Four Bases. Some Viruses Swap in a Fifth.

The Quanta Podcast

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The Z Base Is a Chemical Modification of a Nucleotide

The z base looks like a chemical modification of a it's an adonie nucleotide with an extra attachment. That modest change allows z to form a triple hydrogen bond with t, which is more stable than the double bond that holds together a t. Scientists have uncovered other samples of bacterial pages making nucleotide substitutions.

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