cadaverine
A scientist carefully detects the presence of cadaverine in a laboratory sample.
Noun: A colorless, toxic organic compound with a very unpleasant odor, produced by the bacterial breakdown of amino acids (especially lysine) during the putrefaction of animal tissue. It is a type of ptomaine.
Cadaverine is a technical/scientific term used primarily in the fields of biochemistry, forensic science, and pathology to describe a specific chemical product of decomposition. - It is typically used as a non-count noun (e.g., the presence of cadaverine). - It can be used attributively as a noun modifier (e.g., cadaverine odor).
- The distinctive smell of decaying flesh is partly due to cadaverine and putrescine.
- Forensic scientists can detect trace amounts of cadaverine to help locate buried remains.
- Cadaverine formation is a key indicator in the study of postmortem intervals.
- "Cadaverine" as a biomarker: In advanced scientific contexts, is discussed as a specific biomarker for decomposition processes.
- The study focused on the correlation between soil pH and the rate of cadaverine production.
- Putrescine (n): A closely related, foul-smelling diamine also produced during putrefaction, often mentioned alongside .
- Ptomaine (n): A historical, less specific term for various amine compounds produced by putrefaction, under which is classified.
- 1,5-pentanediamine (n): The systematic chemical name for .
- Pentamethylenediamine (n): An alternative chemical name.
The word cadaverine has a single, specific chemical meaning. It does not have common idiomatic or figurative uses due to its highly technical and unpleasant nature.
A scientist carefully detects the presence of cadaverine in a laboratory sample.
- a colorless toxic ptomaine with an unpleasant odor formed during the putrefaction of animal tissue