Acetanilide

/ˌæsɪtəˈnɪlaɪd/ noun

Definition

An organic compound made from acetic acid and aniline, historically used as a pain reliever but now known to be toxic to human health.

Etymology

From acetic acid + aniline + -ide (chemical suffix). Synthesized in the 19th century and briefly used medically before toxicity was discovered.

Kelly Says

Acetanilide is famous in chemistry labs as the compound that helped scientists discover metabolism—they realized it got converted into something else in the body, revolutionizing how we understand drug transformation.

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