HOMOGENTISIC ACID Meaning and
Definition
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Homogentisic acid is an organic compound that belongs to the class of phenolic acids. It is a metabolic intermediate involved in the degradation of the amino acids phenylalanine and tyrosine.
Chemically, homogentisic acid is also known as 2,5-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid. It has a molecular formula of C8H8O4 and a molecular weight of 168.15 g/mol. The compound is soluble in water and forms white or yellowish crystals.
In terms of its biological significance, homogentisic acid plays a crucial role in the development of a medical condition called alkaptonuria. This is a rare genetic disorder characterized by a deficiency of the enzyme homogentisate 1,2-dioxygenase, which is responsible for the breakdown of homogentisic acid. As a result, homogentisic acid accumulates in the body and is excreted in the urine, leading to various symptoms such as darkening of urine upon exposure to air, joint and connective tissue problems, and pigment deposition in various tissues.
Apart from its role in alkaptonuria, homogentisic acid has been identified as a pigment precursor in several species of bacteria and fungi. It is responsible for the darkening of tissues and fluids in conditions like ochronosis and certain fungal infections.
Overall, homogentisic acid is an important compound in the field of biochemistry and medicine due to its involvement in the metabolism of amino acids and its association with certain genetic disorders and pigmentation abnormalities.
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Alkapton, an acid occurring, together with uroleucic acid, in the urine in alkaptonuria; it is the result of the incomplete oxidation of tyrosin, due probably to the diminution or absence of a specific intracellular oxidase.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
Common Misspellings for HOMOGENTISIC ACID
- gomogentisic acid
- bomogentisic acid
- nomogentisic acid
- jomogentisic acid
- uomogentisic acid
- yomogentisic acid
- himogentisic acid
- hkmogentisic acid
- hlmogentisic acid
- hpmogentisic acid
- h0mogentisic acid
- h9mogentisic acid
- honogentisic acid
- hokogentisic acid
- hojogentisic acid
- homigentisic acid
- homkgentisic acid
- homlgentisic acid
- hompgentisic acid
Etymology of HOMOGENTISIC ACID
The word "homogentisic" is derived from two components: "homo-" and "gentisic".
The prefix "homo-" indicates "same" or "similar". In this context, it refers to the chemical structure of the acid, which shares common features with other acids.
The term "gentisic" originates from the Latin word "gentiana", which is the name of a plant species Gentiana lutea. The plant is known for its yellow flowers. In 1840, the Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele isolated a yellow crystalline compound from gentian root, which he named "gentisin". Later, in 1876, the English chemist Sir William Perkin discovered a new compound similar to gentisin, which he called "homogentisin". The suffix "ic" in "homogentisic" indicates that it is an acid derivative.
