folic acid

nounBiochemistry.

a water-soluble vitamin that is converted to a coenzyme essential to purine and thymine biosynthesis: deficiency causes a form of anemia.

Origin of folic acid

First recorded in 1940–45

Also called folate .

Words Nearby folic acid

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use folic acid in a sentence

The fortification of processed-grain foods like bread and cereal with folic acid has reduced neural-tube defects in newborns by over a third since it became mandatory in 1998.
How Clean-Eating Rhetoric Is Shaping the Anti-Vax Movement | abarronian | November 9, 2021 | Outside Online
These may include vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K, B-complex vitamins, calcium, folic acid, and phosphorus.
Best dog vitamins: Nutrients and supplements to boost your pet’s health | Irena Collaku | June 16, 2021 | Popular-Science
Iron deficiency can cause anemia, as can vitamin B12 or folic acid deficiency.
When You Don't Know Where to Turn | Steven J. Bartlett

British Dictionary definitions for folic acid

folic acid

/ (ˈfəʊlɪk, ˈfɒl-, ˈfəʊleɪt) /

noun

any of a group of vitamins of the B complex, including pteroylglutamic acid and its derivatives: used in the treatment of megaloblastic anaemia: Also called: folacin

Origin of folic acid

C20: from Latin folium leaf; so called because it may be obtained from green leaves

Derived forms of folic acid

folate, noun, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for folic acid

folic acid

[ fō′lĭk, fŏl′ĭk ]

A water-soluble vitamin belonging to the vitamin B complex that is necessary for the formation of red blood cells and important in embryonic development. It is also the parent compound of coenzymes in various metabolic reactions. Folic acid is found especially in green leafy vegetables, liver, and fresh fruit. Deficiency of folic acid in the diet results in anemia. Chemical formula: C19H19N7O6.

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