Ascorbic acid
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Description
A white crystalline, water-soluble vitamin that nautrally occurs in citrus fruits and many vegetables. Ascorbic acid, or vitamin C, is essential in humans for several metabolic functions, such as the formation of healthy skin and the healing of wounds. Vitamin C also prevents scurvy. Ascorbic acid is readily oxidized and as such is used in photographic developer solutions as a reducing agent.
Synonyms and Related Terms
vitamin C; Ascorbinsäur (Deut.); vitamina C (Esp., Port.); acide ascorbique; vitamine C (Fr.); acido ascorbico (It.); ascorbinezuur (Ned.); kwas askorbinowy (Pol.); Askorbinsyra (Sven.);
Physical and Chemical Properties
| Composition | C6H8O6 |
|---|---|
| CAS | 50-81-7 |
| Melting Point | 190-192 C |
| Molecular Weight | 176012 |
Resources and Citations
- The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998
- Encyclopedia Britannica, http://www.britannica.com Comment: "Vitamin C." Accessed 16 Jan. 2004 .
- Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ascorbic_acid (Accessed Oct. 18, 2005)