Definition

A chemical compound that is used as a medicine to treat certain types of cancer, particularly leukemia, by blocking the production of DNA and RNA.

Example

The doctor prescribed mercaptopurine to help treat the patient's leukemia.

Conversation

Have you ever heard of mercaptopurine?

Yeah, I think it's used for treating leukemia, right?

Exactly! It's an antimetabolite that helps with purine synthesis.

That's fascinating! Medicine has so many interesting components.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Mercaptopurine is formed from "merca-" (derived from the Latin "mercurius", meaning mercury, which is associated with the element's properties) and "-purine" (referring to a class of compounds that includes purine bases, which are essential components of nucleic acids). The word describes a compound that contains a mercapto group and is related to purine metabolism, often used in medical treatments.

Memory Tip

Think of 'mercury' ('merca-') which is linked to the element's properties, combined with 'purine', which is essential for DNA and RNA. This helps you remember that mercaptopurine is a compound related to purine metabolism.

Visually Confused Words