Definition

Noun 1. A specific organic acid: A solid, crystalline organic acid with the chemical formula C₆H₁₀O₈. It is derived from the oxidation of certain sugars, such as galactose or lactose, and is found in milk sugar and other substances.

Usage

• Scientific/Technical Context: The term is used almost exclusively in chemistry, biochemistry, and related scientific fields to refer to this specific chemical compound.
  • Mucic acid is formed by the nitric acid oxidation of galactose or lactose.
  • The presence of mucic acid can be used as a test for galactose.

Advanced Usage

• Chemical Derivative: The term can be used to describe salts or esters derived from this acid, which are called "mucates."
  • The calcium mucate precipitate was filtered and analyzed.

Variants and Related Words

• Mucate (noun): A salt or ester of mucic acid.

Synonyms

• Galactaric acid: This is the systematic IUPAC name for the same chemical compound, C₆H₁₀O₈.

Noun

1. a solid acid (C6H10O8) found in milk or sugar