Ureide

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A nitrogen-containing compound formed from urea that is typically involved in metabolic processes
2. A type of organic compound that is derived from the reaction of urea and an amine to produce a more complex structure
3. A compound usually identified in plant biology and biochemistry, serving functions related to nitrogen metabolism and transport

Etymology: Ureide is built from "urea," which comes from Greek "ouron," meaning urine. Chemists coined "urea" in French from that root, as they did for many compounds, so the word is a modern scientific coinage rather than an ancient one. The "-ide" ending is the standard chemical suffix, familiar from "oxide," and marks a compound belonging to a particular chemical family. Ureides are derivatives of urea in which the urea molecule is combined with another group, and several of them matter in biology. Allantoin and allantoic acid, for example, are ureides that some plants and animals use to store and transport nitrogen during metabolism.

Synonyms: urea derivative, nitrogen compound