Uric

Uric is an adjective used in scientific and medical contexts to describe properties related to uric acid, its salts, or derivatives. It appears in terms such as uric acid, urates (uric acid salts), and enzymes that interact with uric acid. The word derives from the historical association of this compound with urine.

In chemistry, uric acid is a weak, heterocyclic organic acid produced during purine metabolism. It has relatively low solubility in water and forms salts known as urates, such as sodium urate or potassium urate. In humans and many animals, uric acid is partially excreted by the kidneys. The balance between production and excretion determines circulating levels of uric acid, or uremia.

Clinically, elevated uric acid in the blood (hyperuricemia) can contribute to gout, a form of inflammatory arthritis characterized by crystal deposition in joints, and to kidney stones composed of urate crystals. Uric acid also acts as an antioxidant in some biological contexts, but high levels are generally linked to disease. Metabolic regulation involves purine breakdown and enzymes such as xanthine oxidase, which converts xanthine to uric acid. Treatments to manage hyperuricemia include xanthine oxidase inhibitors (allopurinol, febuxostat) to reduce production and uricosuric agents (probenecid) to enhance renal excretion.

Etymology: the term uric traces back to urine, reflecting the historical naming of this metabolite. See also uric acid, urate, gout, hyperuricemia.