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Glite Dictionary
pteroylglutamic acid

pteroylglutamic acid

5.5
A B vitamin needed for cells to grow and make new cells
  • noun
  • /ˌtɛroʊɪlɡluˈtæmɪk ˈæsɪd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : ácido pteroylglutámico
  • Many prenatal vitamins contain pteroylglutamic acid to support healthy fetal development.

Examples

  • A deficiency in pteroylglutamic acid can lead to certain types of anemia.

  • Eating leafy greens provides pteroylglutamic acid for your health.

  • Researchers studied the effects of pteroylglutamic acid supplementation on rapid cell division.

  • Many cereals are fortified with pteroylglutamic acid.

  • A deficiency in pteroylglutamic acid can lead to certain types of anemia.

  • Many prenatal vitamins contain pteroylglutamic acid to support healthy fetal development.

  • Eating leafy greens provides pteroylglutamic acid for your health.

Synonyms

folic acid
vspteroylglutamic acid
  • Specialized
7 3.0

A B vitamin that helps the body make new cells and prevents birth defects in early pregnancy

is the neutral vitamin term without focusing on that medical use
folate
vspteroylglutamic acid
  • Specialized
5 3.6

A B vitamin that helps the body make new cells and is in leafy greens

is the broader vitamin label, not limited to natural food sources
folacin
vspteroylglutamic acid
  • Specialized
1 6.8

A B vitamin that helps the body make new cells and blood

is the same vitamin but given by a different technical name
vitamin M
vspteroylglutamic acid
  • Archaic
3.3

A vitamin needed for making new cells and preventing anemia

is the same vitamin but listed under a different systematic name
vitamin Bc
vspteroylglutamic acid
  • Archaic
3.5

A substance your body needs to make new cells, especially during pregnancy

is the general vitamin name without stressing pregnancy use
pteroylmonoglutamic acid
vspteroylglutamic acid
  • Specialized
9.9

A B vitamin, also called folic acid, needed for cells to grow and make new cells

is the general vitamin concept rather than the named chemical form

Surface Forms

pteroylglutamic acid singular
pteroylglutamic acids plural

Morphology

pteroylglutamic + acid

Although the headword contains 'acid', which signals a chemical substance, the segment 'pteroylglutamic' is a highly technical, non-transparent chemical name whose internal morphemes are not interpretable by a B1 learner. The specific meaning 'a B vitamin (folic acid)' cannot be derived from ordinary knowledge of the constituents; this term is domain-specific and requires specialist knowledge, so it is opaque to general learners.

Etymology

Pteroylglutamic acid may come from joining pteroyl, a part named from a word meaning 'wing' because a small part of the molecule looked wing-like to the scientists, and glutamic acid, a common substance in the body. So the name points to the two parts of the vitamin and helps remember that pteroylglutamic acid is the same as 'folic acid', a vitamin needed for cell growth and reproduction.