Acid

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An acid (from the Latin acidus meaning sour) is traditionally considered any chemical compound that, when dissolved in water, gives a solution with a hydrogen ion activity greater than in pure water, i.e. a pH less than 7.0. That approximates the modern definition of Johannes Nicolaus Brønsted and Martin Lowry, who independently defined an acid as a compound which donates a hydrogen ion (H+) to another compound (called a base). Common examples include acetic acid (in vinegar) and sulfuric acid (used in car batteries). Acid/base systems are different from redox reactions in that there is no change in oxidation state. Acids can occur in solid, liquid or gaseous form, depending on the temperature. They can exist as pure substances or in solution.

Chemicals or substances having the property of an acid are said to be acidic (adjective).

For more information about Acid, read the full article at Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.


News tagged with acid

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Explained: RNA interference

Explained: RNA interference

Biology / Cell & Microbiology

created Nov 12, 2009 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (5) | comments 0

Every high school biology student learns the basics of how genes are expressed: DNA, the cell’s master information keeper, is copied into messenger RNA, which carries protein-building instructions to the ribosome, ...


Fatty acids clue for Alzheimer's

Fatty acids clue for Alzheimer's

Medicine & Health / Neuroscience

created Nov 13, 2009 | popularity 2.6 / 5 (8) | comments 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- The amount of fatty acids in the brain varies between healthy people and those with Alzheimer's according to new research from the University of Bristol, UK, supported by the Alzheimer's Research ...


With amino acid diet, mice improve after brain injury

Medicine & Health / Research

created Dec 07, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (4) | comments 0

Neurology researchers have shown that feeding amino acids to brain-injured animals restores their cognitive abilities and may set the stage for the first effective treatment for cognitive impairments suffered by people with ...


Muscle cell infusion shown to strengthen sphincters in animals

Medicine & Health / Research

created Dec 04, 2009 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (4) | comments 1

A new study shows that muscle cells grown in the lab can restore an intestine's ability to squeeze shut properly. The work, performed in dogs and rats, might ultimately help treat patients with conditions such as gastric ...


Reflux esophagitis due to immune reaction, not acute acid burn

Reflux esophagitis due to immune reaction, not acute acid burn

Medicine & Health / Cancer

created Nov 19, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 0

Contrary to current thinking, a condition called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) might not develop as a direct result of acidic digestive juices burning the esophagus, UT Southwestern Medical Center ...


Treatment with folic acid, vitamin B12 associated with increased risk of cancer, death

Medicine & Health / Research

created Nov 17, 2009 | popularity 3.5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

Patients with heart disease in Norway, a country with no fortification of foods with folic acid, had an associated increased risk of cancer and death from any cause if they had received treatment with folic acid and vitamin ...


Drought resistance explained

Drought resistance explained

Biology / Cell & Microbiology

created Nov 09, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Much as adrenaline coursing through our veins drives our body's reactions to stress, the plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) is behind plants' responses to stressful situations such as drought, but how it does ...


Marker of oxidative stress predicts heart disease outcomes

Medicine & Health / Research

created Nov 17, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Judging from the number of juices and teas advertised as containing antioxidants, consumers are aware of the dangers of oxidative stress. But what is the best way to measure it - and fight it?


A sticky solution for identifying effective probiotics

Chemistry / Biochemistry

created Nov 24, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Scientists have crystallised a protein that may help gut bacteria bind to the gastrointestinal tract. The protein could be used by probiotic producers to identify strains that are likely to be of real benefit to people.


Is hepatic differentiation of embryonic stem cells induced by valproic acid and cytokines?

Medicine & Health / Research

created Nov 18, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Embryonic stem (ES) cells, known for their capacity to proliferate indefinitely and differentiate into almost all types of cells including hepatocytes, have raised the hope of cellular replacement therapy for liver failure. ...


Against expectations, genetic variation does not alter asthma treatment response

Medicine & Health / Diseases

created Nov 24, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Studies have suggested that asthma patients with a specific genetic variation might not respond as well to certain treatments as those with a different variation. But a new study in this week's edition of ...


Probing life's extremes in Yellowstone

Probing life's extremes in Yellowstone (w/ Podcast)

Biology / Cell & Microbiology

created Nov 24, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Idaho National Laboratory biologist Frank Roberto squats on a bare, gravelly patch of ground in Yellowstone National Park's rolling backcountry. At his feet, scalding water churns in a mustard-yellow ...


Study finds new relationship between gene duplication and alternative splicing in plants

Study finds new relationship between gene duplication and alternative splicing in plants

Biology / Biotechnology

created Dec 07, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

University of Georgia scientists looking to understand the genetic mechanisms of plant defense and growth have found for the first time in plants an inverse relationship between gene duplication and alternative ...