phenylacetamide
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: 1. A white crystalline organic compound with medicinal properties: Phenylacetamide is a specific chemical substance. Its primary recognized use is in medicine, where it functions both to relieve pain (analgesic) and to reduce fever (antipyretic).
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The laboratory synthesized a batch of phenylacetamide for pharmaceutical testing.
- Historically, phenylacetamide was studied for its analgesic and antipyretic effects.
- The chemical structure of phenylacetamide is C₆H₅CH₂CONH₂.
Advanced Usage
- In Chemical Nomenclature: The name "phenylacetamide" is systematic: "phenyl-" refers to the benzene ring (C₆H₅-), "acet-" refers to the two-carbon acetyl group (CH₃CO-), and "-amide" indicates the presence of a nitrogen-based functional group (CONH₂). It is synonymous with the common name acetanilide.
- In Historical Medical Context: While once used directly, phenylacetamide (acetanilide) is now primarily of historical and research interest in medicine due to the development of safer alternatives. Its metabolic byproducts in the body were found to be responsible for its therapeutic effects.
Variants and Related Words
- Acetanilide (n): This is the most common synonym for phenylacetamide, especially in historical and chemical contexts.
- Acetanilide was one of the first synthetic fever-reducing drugs.
- N-Phenylacetamide (n): A more precise systematic name used in chemical literature.
Synonyms
- Acetanilide (n): The standard common name for the same chemical compound.
- Antifebrin (n): An older, now largely obsolete, proprietary name for the medicinal compound.
Notes on Meaning
- Technical vs. General Use: This term is almost exclusively used in technical, scientific, or historical contexts (chemistry, pharmacology, history of medicine). It is not a word encountered in everyday conversation.
- Specificity: Refers to one specific chemical compound. It is not a general term for painkillers or fever reducers.
Noun
- a white crystalline compound used as an analgesic and also as an antipyretic