Taurine

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 * Taurine **, or ** 2-aminoethanesulfonic acid ** , is an [|organic acid] widely distributed in animal tissues. It is a major constituent of [|bile] and can be found in the [|large intestine] and accounts for approximately 0.1% of total human body weight. Taurine has many fundamental biological roles such as conjugation of [|bile acids] , [|antioxidation] , [|osmoregulation] , [|membrane stabilization] and modulation of [|calcium signaling] . It is essential for [|cardiovascular] function, and development and function of [|skeletal muscle] , the [|retina] and the [|central nervous system] . Taurine is unusual among biological molecules in being a [|sulfonic acid] , while the vast majority of biologically occurring acids contain the more weakly acidic [|carboxyl group] . While taurine is sometimes called an amino acid, and indeed is an [|acid] containing an [|amino] group, it is not an [|amino acid] in the usual biochemical meaning of the term, which refers to compounds containing both an <span style="background-color: #ffffff; background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; text-decoration: none;">[|amino] and a <span style="background-color: #ffffff; background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; text-decoration: none;">[|carboxyl] group.
 * ~ Properties ||
 * [|Molecular formula] || C 2 H 7 NO 3 S ||
 * [|Molar mass] || 125.15 g mol −1 ||
 * [|Density] || 1.734 g/cm 3 (at −173.15 °C) ||
 * [|Melting point] || 305.11 °C ||
 * [|Acidity] (p//K// a ) || <0, 9.06 ||



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There was a study to determine the effect of taurine and alcohol on a rat liver. It led to hepatic steatosis and lipid peroxidation in the rats. When taurine was administered along with the alcohol, there was a reduction in hepatic steatosis and completely prevented the lipid peroxidation. Data shows that taurine can have protective benefits for the liver for problems caused by alcohol. Nevertheless, this study was conducted on rats thus, we do not know if it would have a similar effect on humans. The taurine may act differently when it is present with caffeine and other energy drink ingredients. ======

<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">Discovery:
Taurine is named after the Latin taurus (a cognate of the Greek ταύρος) which means bull or ox, as it was first isolated from ox bile in 1827 by German scientists Friedrich Tiedemann and Leopold Gmelin.