What Goes in Must Come out: The Story of Uric Acid: Chemical Education

Catherine E. Housecroft

doi:10.2533/chimia.2021.891

What Goes in Must Come out: The Story of Uric Acid

Chemical Education

Authors

Catherine E. Housecroft Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, Mattenstrasse 24a, CH-4058 Basel

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.2533/chimia.2021.891

Keywords:

guano, uric acid, education, crystal structure, Urate salts

Abstract

Birds and reptiles convert waste ammonia into uric acid, while mammals excrete urea, with only small amounts of uric acid ending up in urine. This column explores the varying roles of uric acid and important calcium and sodium salts, and introduces pi-stacking interactions in solid-state structures.