A xenobiotic is a chemical which is found in an organism but which is not normally produced or expected to be present in it.
Top 10 unbelievable historical concurrencies. Xenobiotic metabolism refers to the various chemical reactions, called metabolic pathways, that a living organism uses to alter chemicals that are not normally found in an organism as part of its natural biochemistry. Xenobiotic metabolism is important for life, as it allows an organism to neutralize and eliminate foreign toxins that would otherwise interfere with the chemical processes that keep it alive. The term xenobiotic is also used to refer to organs transplanted from one species to another. For example, some researchers hope that hearts and other organs could be transplanted from pigs to humans. Many people die every year whose lives could have been saved if a critical organ had been available for transplant. Xenobiotic substances are an issue for Sewage Treatment systems, since they are many in number, and each will present its own problems as to how to remove them (and whether it is worth trying to). It can be dangerous to the health. The term xenobiotic is derived from the Greek words ξένος (xenos) = foreigner, stranger and βίος (bios, vios) = life, plus the Greek suffix for adjectives -τικός, -ή, -ό (tic). Xenobiotics may be grouped as antioxidants, carcinogens, drugs, environmental pollutants, food additives, hydrocarbons, and pesticides. Xenobiotic substances are an issue for Sewage Treatment systems, since they are many in number, and each will present its own problems as to how to remove them (and whether it is worth trying to). It can be dangerous to the health. Xenobiotic metabolism is also important in medicine, as most drugs are xenobiotics. Some drugs have no medical effect in the form that is actually administered to the patient and become active when they are chemically altered by the patient's metabolism, a process called bioactivation. Xenobiotic metabolism is important for life, as it allows an organism to neutralize and eliminate foreign toxins that would otherwise interfere with the chemical processes that keep it alive. Natural compounds can also become xenobiotics if they are taken up by another organism, such as the uptake of natural human hormones by fish found downstream of sewage treatment plant outfalls, or the chemical defenses produced by some organisms as protection against predators. Xenobiotic substances are an issue for Sewage Treatment systems, since they are many in number, and each will present its own problems as to how to remove them (and whether it is worth trying to). It can be dangerous to the health. Xenobiotic. A xenobiotic is a chemical which is found in an organism but which is not normally produced or expected to be present in it. It can also cover substances which are present in much higher concentrations than are usual. Wiktionary (0.00 / 0 votes) Rate this definition: xenobiotic (Noun). Any foreign compound not produced by an organism's metabolism. xenobiotic (Adjective). Of or pertaining to xenobiosis. xenobiotic (Adjective). Relating to a substance foreign to the body or ecological system. Drug metabolism also known as xenobiotic metabolism is the biochemical modification of pharmaceutical substances or xenobiotics respectively by living organisms, usually through specialized enzymatic systems. Drug metabolism often converts lipophilic chemical compounds into more readily excreted hydrophilic products. These pathways are also important in environmental science, with the xenobiotic metabolism of microorganisms determining whether a pollutant will be broken down during bioremediation, or persist in the environment. Definition of XENOBIOTIC. : a chemical compound (as a drug, pesticide, or carcinogen) that is foreign to a living organism. — xenobiotic adjective. ADVERTISEMENT.
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what is xenobiotic