A chemical reaction in which a carboxyl group is removed from an organic compound, usually releasing carbon dioxide as a byproduct.
From decarboxyl- + -ation. First systematically described in 19th-century organic chemistry as scientists studied the breakdown of carboxylic acids.
Decarboxylation is happening right now in your mitochondria—it's the hidden engine powering every thought, movement, and heartbeat by releasing carbon dioxide from food molecules!
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