#ammonia

• Volatile alkali — An archaic and historical designation used in chemistry and old pharmacy for ammonia (gas or an aqueous solution of ammonium hydroxide). The term highlights the substance's alkaline (basic) character and its pronounced capacity to evaporate rapidly at room temperature, releasing a strong, pungent, and suffocating odor.
• Amine — An organic compound structurally derived, theoretically or practically, from ammonia by replacing one, two, or all three hydrogen atoms with hydrocarbon radicals (alkyl or aryl). Depending on the number of hydrogen atoms replaced, amines are classified into primary, secondary, and tertiary, possessing basic character and playing crucial biological and industrial roles (ranging from amino acids and neurotransmitters to dyes and pharmaceuticals).
• Ammonia — A colorless, gaseous chemical compound with an extremely pungent and suffocating odor, composed of one nitrogen atom and three hydrogen atoms (NH3). It is highly soluble in water, forming ammonium hydroxide, and serves as a fundamental raw material in the global chemical industry for manufacturing nitrogen fertilizers, explosives, plastics, and household cleaning products.
• Ammoniacal — Containing ammonia, derived from ammonia, or exhibiting its specific chemical or olfactory traits. In laboratory language, it describes a solution, a mixture, or an atmosphere saturated with NH3 particles, usually presenting a strongly alkaline reaction.
• Ammoniated — Having been combined, treated, or impregnated with ammonia; a substance, solution, or mineral compound that has absorbed NH3 molecules into its physical or chemical structure. In the context of industrial production, the term describes the state of a reactive material subjected to the ammoniation process to modify its pH or solubility properties.
• Ammoniate — A crystalline chemical compound or complex solvate containing ammonia bound as a ligand or as inclusion molecules within its crystal lattice, similar to hydrates for water. In an adjectival sense, it describes a dissolved ion or molecule that has closely associated with ammonia solvent molecules following the ammoniation (solvation in liquid ammonia) process.
• Ammoniemia — The presence and concentration of ammonia or ammonium ions in the circulating blood. Normally, its level is kept very low through its rapid conversion into urea in the liver; the quantitative determination of amoniemie is crucial for diagnosing severe hepatic insufficiency, advanced cirrhosis, or inborn errors of metabolism within the urea cycle.
• Ammoniation — The act of ammoniating and its result; a technological or industrial process through which gaseous or liquid ammonia is introduced into a chemical environment, solutions, or a solid substrate, aiming to modify its acidity, structural reactivity, or nitrogen content. In applied ecology, the term is sometimes used as a partial synonym for ammonification, describing the initial release phase of ammonia from residues.
• Ammonolysis — A chemical cleavage reaction of a bond in an organic or inorganic compound under the action of ammonia, analogous to hydrolysis, resulting in the introduction of amino groups (-NH2) into the structure of the resulting molecule. This industrial process is widely used for synthesizing amines, amides, and other nitrogenous derivatives from alkyl halides, acids, or esters.
• Ammonium hydroxide — An aqueous solution of ammonium hydroxide (NH₄OH), a clear, colorless liquid with a pungent, suffocating, and strongly alkaline odor, obtained by dissolving ammonia gas in water; it is widely used in the chemical industry as a laboratory reagent, in producing nitrogen fertilizers, cleaning agents, textiles, or as a refrigerant medium.
• Arginase — A highly crucial hydrolytic enzyme, primarily located in the cytoplasm of hepatocytes, which catalyzes the final phase of the urea cycle. This structural biocatalyst splits arginine into ornithine and urea, facilitating the efficient elimination of toxic ammonia resulting from protein metabolism and thus preventing severe neurological disorders.