[i-noh-si-tawl, -tohl, ahy-noh-] 
| 1. | Biochemistry. a compound, C6H12O6, derivative of cyclohexane, widely distributed in plants and seeds as phytin, and occurring in animal tissue and in urine: an essential growth factor for animal life, present in the vitamin B complex. |
| 2. | Pharmacology. the commercial form of this compound, a white, sweet, crystalline solid, used chiefly to promote epithelialization of the cervix after infection or injury. |
| in·o·si·tol (ĭ-nō'sĭ-tôl', -tōl', ī-nō'-) n. Any of nine isomeric alcohols, C6H12O6·2H2O, especially one found in plant and animal tissue and classified as a member of the vitamin B complex. [Greek īs, īn-, sinew; see wei- in Indo-European roots + -os(e)2 + -it(e)2 + -ol1.] |
inositol in·o·si·tol (ĭ-nō'sĭ-tôl', -tōl', ī-nō'-)
n.
Any of nine isomeric alcohols especially one found in plant and animal tissue and classified as a member of the vitamin B complex.
| inositol (ĭ-nō'sĭ-tôl', -tōl', ī-nō'-) Pronunciation Key
Any of nine isomeric alcohols, especially one found in plant and animal tissue and classified as a member of the vitamin B complex. Inositol is necessary for the growth of yeasts and other fungi, and in humans is especially abundant as part of a phospholipid found in the brain. Chemical formula: C6H12O6. |
inositol
any of several stereoisomeric alcohols similar in molecular structure to the simple carbohydrates. The best known of the inositols is myoinositol, named for its presence in muscle tissue, from which it was first obtained in 1850. Myoinositol is essential for the growth of yeasts and other fungi; it is widely distributed in plants and animals, and large amounts of it are present in the human body, principally as a constituent of a phospholipid that is abundant in the brain. Myoinositol is commonly obtained from grains, in which it is present as the hexaphosphate, phytic acid.
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sɪˌtɔl
s