Dihydroorotate is a chemical compound that plays a crucial role in the biosynthesis of pyrimidine nucleotides, which are essential for DNA and RNA synthesis. It is an intermediate in the de novo pathway for the production of uridine and cytidine, two important building blocks of nucleic acids. This compound is formed from orotate through the action of the enzyme dihydroorotate dehydrogenase. Dihydroorotate can be further oxidized to orotate, completing the synthesis pathway. Understanding dihydroorotate is important in biochemistry and pharmacology, particularly in the development of drugs that target nucleotide synthesis.