Cytidine Unit Converter

Cytidine is a pyrimidine nucleoside, one of the building blocks your body uses to make RNA. It consists of the base cytosine linked to a ribose sugar.

Inside cells, cytidine is converted to cytidine triphosphate (CTP), which fuels RNA synthesis and drives the production of phospholipids for cell membranes. A blood test measures the free cytidine circulating in your serum or plasma, reflecting pyrimidine nucleoside metabolism and cellular turnover.

Cytidine is also a precursor to uridine, another pyrimidine nucleoside, through the action of the enzyme cytidine deaminase.

Cytidine is produced in all cells through de novo pyrimidine synthesis (primarily in the liver) and through the nucleotide salvage pathway, which recycles bases from normal RNA and DNA turnover. It is also obtained from dietary sources such as organ meats, fish, seeds, brewer's yeast, and certain vegetables.