Urea

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Urea is an organic compound of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and hydrogen, with the formula CON2H4 or (NH2)2CO and the structure shown right:

Related Topics:
Organic compound - Carbon - Nitrogen - Oxygen - Hydrogen - Formula - NH₂

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Urea is also known as carbamide, especially in the recommended International Non-proprietary Names (rINN) in use in Europe. For example, the medicinal compound hydroxyurea (old British Approved Name) is now hydroxycarbamide.

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In some animals, the individual atoms of urea come from carbon dioxide, water, aspartate and ammonia in a metabolic pathway known as the urea cycle, an anabolic process. This expenditure of energy is necessary because ammonia, a common metabolic waste product, is toxic and must be neutralized. Urea production occurs in the liver and is under the regulatory control of N-acetylglutamate. Aquatic animals do not produce urea; living in an abundant supply of water, they can simply excrete ammonia immediately as it is produced. Birds, with more severe restrictions on water consumption than most other animals, produce uric acid, a compound even less toxic than urea. Humans produce a little uric acid as a result of purine breakdown. Indeed, excess uric acid production can lead to a type of arthritis known as gout.

Related Topics:
Carbon dioxide - Aspartate - Ammonia - Urea cycle - Anabolic - Metabolic - Liver - Bird - Uric acid - Arthritis - Gout

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