urea

/'ju ri /

Thân thiện

A farmer spreads urea fertilizer on his field.

Definition

Noun 1. A chemical compound: Urea is the primary nitrogen-containing substance in the urine of mammals. It is a colorless, crystalline compound that is the final product of protein metabolism in the body. 2. An industrial and agricultural product: Urea is also synthesized from ammonia and carbon dioxide for widespread use as a nitrogen-release fertilizer, an additive in animal feed, and a raw material in the manufacture of plastics and resins.

Usage Examples

• Biological Context:
  • The kidneys filter waste products like urea from the blood.
  • A high level of urea in the blood can indicate kidney dysfunction.
• Industrial/Agricultural Context:
  • Farmers apply urea to their fields to provide nitrogen for crop growth.
  • This type of plastic is manufactured using urea as a key component.

Advanced Usage

• "Urea cycle": A series of biochemical reactions occurring in the liver that produces urea from ammonia, which is toxic to the body.
  • A defect in the urea cycle can lead to a dangerous buildup of ammonia in the blood.

Variants and Related Words

• Uremia (noun): A clinical condition associated with abnormally high levels of urea and other waste products in the blood.
• Urease (noun): An enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of urea into carbon dioxide and ammonia.

Synonyms

• Carbamide: The systematic IUPAC name for the chemical compound urea.

Related Phrases and Compounds

• Urea-formaldehyde: A type of thermosetting resin made from urea and formaldehyde, used in adhesives, finishes, and molded objects.
• Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN): A common blood test that measures the amount of nitrogen in the blood that comes from urea, used to assess kidney function.

Học thuật

Noun

1. the chief solid component of mammalian urine; synthesized from ammonia and carbon dioxide and used as fertilizer and in animal feed and in plastics

Từ đồng nghĩa

• carbamide