A salt or ester formed when a carboxylic acid loses its acidic hydrogen, leaving a negative charge on the carboxyl group.
From carboxyl + -ate (chemical suffix for salts and compounds). The term describes the ionized form of carboxylic acids, especially in water or as part of biochemical molecules.
When a carboxylic acid becomes a carboxylate, it transforms from an acid into a salt—this simple change is how your body controls pH and how cells manage charge balance. Proteins spend enormous amounts of energy maintaining carboxylate forms in precise locations.
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