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inositol

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inositol (ĭnō`sĭtōl): see vitamin vitamin, group of organic substances that are required in the diet of humans and animals for normal growth, maintenance of life, and normal reproduction. Vitamins act as catalysts; very often either the vitamins themselves are coenzymes , or they form integral parts
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inositol [i′näs·ə‚tȯl]
(organic chemistry)
C6H6(OH)6·2H2O A water-soluble alcohol often grouped with the vitamins; there are nine stereoisomers of hexahydroxycyclohexane, and the only one of biological importance is optically inactivemeso-inositol, comprising white crystals, widely distributed in animals and plants; it serves as a growth factor for animals and microorganisms.

Inositol

The generic name for hexahydroxycyclohexanes, which are classified as carbohydrates. The inositols have exceptional chemical stability and are easily crystallized. Of the forms common in nature, the most ubiquitous and biologically important is myoinositol, a water-soluble crystalline compound. Many biological functions require myoinositol, and thus it is identified as an essential metabolite. Although originally classified as a vitamin, myoinositol is now known to be a cellular precursor of phospholipids that serve as a source of metabolic regulators and as membrane anchors for certain proteins. Some microorganisms require exogenous myoinositol for growth. See Carbohydrate, Lipid



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Inositol phospholipid 3-kinase is activated by cellular stress but is not required for the stress-induced activation of glucose transport in L6 rat skeletal muscle cells.
2]S), positive oxidase, negative urease, fermentation of mannitol but not dulcitol and inositol, resistance to vibriostatic agent 0/129, and ability to grow at 0% NaCl.
Linkage to the ryanodine receptor gene, the dihydropyridine membrane calcium channel, and the second-messenger inositol polyphosphate system has been found, but not consistently.
 
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