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isovaleric

isovaleric

1 9.9
Relating to an acid that often makes a strong, cheesy smell
  • adjective
  • /ˌaɪsoʊˈvælərɪk/
  • Specialized
: isovalérico
  • The strong, cheesy smell was caused by isovaleric acid produced by bacteria.

Examples

  • Doctors tested for isovaleric acid levels in the patient's blood sample.

  • The isovaleric acid produced a strong odor.

  • The laboratory detected an isovaleric compound in the chemical analysis.

  • Is isovaleric acid used in any food products?

  • The laboratory detected an isovaleric compound during the experiment to identify various acids.

  • Doctors found elevated levels of isovaleric acid in the patient's blood, indicating a metabolic issue.

  • The unpleasant smell in the cheese was attributed to the presence of isovaleric acid formed during fermentation.

Surface Forms

isovaleric positive

Morphology

isovaleric = valeric (opaque) = iso + valer + ic

The formation is a technical chemical prefixation (iso- + valeric); this naming is specialized and not helpful for general learners to infer the specific chemical meaning.

Etymology

Isovaleric comes from iso- meaning 'same' and valeric from the plant valerian, which gave its name to valeric acid because of a strong smell. So, isovaleric describes a chemical that is a 'same' or very similar form of valeric acid, which is why the word names that specific compound.