#biochemistry definition

• Albumin — A macromolecular protein soluble in water and dilute salt solutions, coagulable by heat, present in large quantities in blood plasma, lymph, egg white, and some plant seeds, playing an essential role in maintaining osmotic pressure and transporting nutrients.
• Albuminolysis — The chemical or enzymatic process of cleavage, decomposition, or hydrolytic degradation of albumins and other protein molecules into simpler compounds, such as peptones, peptides, and amino acids; proteolysis applied to albumins.
• Anabolite — A chemical substance, molecule, or organic compound directly resulting from a process of anabolism or used as a precursor in cellular biosynthesis reactions. It represents the structural building block used by the cell for energy storage or macromolecule formation, being the opposite of a catabolite.
• Anabolic agent — Having the property of stimulating anabolism, favoring protein synthesis and tissue growth, particularly muscle mass. As a neuter noun, it designates a steroidal drug or a chemical synthetic compound used in medical therapy to combat muscle wasting or severe malnutrition states and, abusively, in bodybuilding or sports as a doping agent.
• Angiotensin — A peptide hormone with potent vasoconstrictive action, derived from a plasma precursor (angiotensinogen) through an enzymatic cascade involving renin and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE). This well-defined structural element plays a fundamental role in regulating arterial blood pressure, stimulating aldosterone secretion by the adrenal glands, and maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance in the body, while also serving as the primary target for modern antihypertensive treatments.
• Antipepsin — An antibody, specific antibody, or biological substance with an inhibitory role that neutralizes the enzymatic activity of pepsin to digest proteins. This structural factor protects the gastric mucosa from self-digestion and is used in clinical research to study homeostatic mechanisms within the stomach.
• Ascorbic — Relating to or belonging to ascorbic acid; a term used almost exclusively within the phrase 'ascorbic acid', which represents the official chemical name for Vitamin C. It is a water-soluble organic compound with potent antioxidant properties, holding a vital structural role in collagen synthesis, immune system function, iron absorption, and the prevention of scurvy.
• Autoproteolysis — A biochemical process of spontaneous and autonomous cleavage, degradation, or enzymatic digestion of proteins within a cell or organic tissue, executed by the organism's own proteolytic enzymes (proteases, peptidases). This endogenous structural phenomenon occurs in a controlled manner during autophagy and cellular turnover, but can be triggered destructively and uncontrollably in pathological states of ischemia, acute inflammation, or immediately following cell death (post-mortem necrosis).
• Azotemia — A biochemical condition characterized by the presence or abnormal accumulation of non-protein nitrogenous compounds (especially urea and creatinine) in the blood, resulting from a decrease in the glomerular filtration rate within the kidneys; the normal presence of these compounds in the body.