hydrogen sulfide
1
4.4
- noun
- /ˈhaɪdrədʒən ˈsʌlfaɪd/
- Specialized
:
sulfuro de hidrógeno
- The gas hydrogen sulfide has many roles.
Examples
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Hydrogen sulfide is vital.
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Researchers are studying how hydrogen sulfide regulates blood flow as a natural gasotransmitter.
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Low levels of hydrogen sulfide produced in cells appear to protect the heart during stress.
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She measured hydrogen sulfide release from cultured neurons to track signaling changes.
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In the human body, hydrogen sulfide serves as a crucial gaseous molecule that helps regulate various physiological processes.
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Researchers discovered that hydrogen sulfide acts as a signaling gas, influencing blood vessel relaxation and other vital functions.
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Certain bacteria produce hydrogen sulfide during digestion, which can lead to unpleasant odors in the mouth.
Surface Forms
Morphology
The term is compositionally transparent: a learner who knows 'hydrogen' and 'sulfide' can infer it is a chemical compound containing hydrogen and sulfur (and many will expect a gas), so the basic referent is predictable. However, the specific biomedical sense — that it is an endogenously produced signalling gas involved in physiological regulation — is technical and not deducible from the parts alone, so the overall transparency is partial.
Etymology
The term hydrogen sulfide is used in biology for the same tiny gas made of hydrogen and sulfur that cells make. Because small amounts of this gas carry signals inside the body, scientists call it a 'signalling gas', so the name reminds you it can act as a messenger in living things.