MURAMIC ACID Meaning and
Definition
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Muramic acid is a naturally occurring organic compound that belongs to the group of amino sugars. It is a derivative of lactic acid and has a chemical structure consisting of a sugar molecule (specifically, glucosamine) attached to a lactate group. The molecule's structure includes an amine group, a carbonyl group, and multiple hydroxyl groups.
Muramic acid is found primarily in the cell walls of bacteria, particularly in the peptidoglycan layer. It plays a crucial role in providing structural integrity and rigidity to the bacterial cell wall. Additionally, muramic acid is an essential component of the peptidoglycan building blocks known as murein monomers, which are long polymers that form the backbone of the cell wall structure.
Due to its presence being unique to bacteria, muramic acid has been used as a biomarker or signature molecule for detecting bacterial contamination. Muramic acid can also be used as an indicator or marker compound in environmental studies to assess bacterial population density or identify sources of bacterial pollution.
Furthermore, muramic acid has found applications in clinical and biotechnological research, as it can be used for studying bacterial cell wall biosynthesis, evaluating the effectiveness of antibiotics, or investigating the immune response to bacterial infections.
In summary, muramic acid is an amino sugar compound that is primarily found in bacterial cell walls, where it contributes to the cell wall structure and rigidity. Its unique presence in bacteria makes it a valuable biomarker for various applications in research, detection, and environmental studies.
Common Misspellings for MURAMIC ACID
- nuramic acid
- kuramic acid
- juramic acid
- myramic acid
- mhramic acid
- mjramic acid
- miramic acid
- m8ramic acid
- m7ramic acid
- mueamic acid
- mudamic acid
- mufamic acid
- mutamic acid
- mu5amic acid
- mu4amic acid
- murzmic acid
- mursmic acid
- murwmic acid
- murqmic acid
- muranic acid
Etymology of MURAMIC ACID
The word "Muramic Acid" is derived from the name of a bacterial cell wall component called "muramic acid", often referred to as N-acetylmuramic acid (NAM). The term was coined from the root word "muram-" referring to a complex sugar molecule known as muramose. The acid part of the name indicates the presence of a carboxylic acid group in the molecule. The word "Muramic Acid" was created to specifically identify and describe this particular compound.
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