A chemical compound used in scientific research that can damage the pancreas and is often used to study diabetes in laboratory animals.
Coined in 1838 by German chemist Friedrich Wöhler, the name combines 'alloxan' from 'allantoin' (a compound found in urine) and 'oxalic' (relating to a type of acid). The term reflects systematic chemical nomenclature mixing Greek and Latin roots.
Alloxan is a tragic-but-useful compound in medical science: it damages insulin-producing cells, letting researchers study diabetes, but it's also deeply toxic—scientists had to learn to use it carefully, making it a symbol of medicine's often-uncomfortable relationship with toxins that can teach us about disease.
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