A salt or ester of alginic acid, derived from brown seaweed and used in food, textiles, and pharmaceutical products as a thickening or gelling agent.
Derived from 'algin' with the suffix '-ate' indicating a salt or chemical compound. As chemists began isolating and studying alginic acid in the 1800s, they created this term to describe its various forms and derivatives used in industry.
Sodium alginate can instantly turn into a gel when it meets calcium—this is why dentists use it for making impressions of your teeth, and bioengineers are now using it to 3D-print artificial tissue for medical research!
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