A chemical compound found in almonds and other plants that can break down into cyanide and other substances when digested.
From amygdala (almond) + -in (chemical suffix). This substance was first isolated in 1830 from almond seeds. The suffix -in became standard for naming organic compounds in the 19th century.
Amygdalin is why bitter almonds are dangerous to eat raw—your digestive system converts it into cyanide! The irony is that this 'poison' is actually a plant's defense mechanism, and the same compound exists in apple seeds and peach pits in small amounts.
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