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Urea

Organic compound that must not be confused with uric acid. It is produced by mammals as an end product of the metabolism of nitrogen compounds such as amino acids and proteins and excreted in urine and, to a lesser extent, in sweat. Pure urea is a white, crystalline, faintly ammonia-smelling, non-toxic and hygienically harmless solid. Urea, discovered in 1773, was the first organic compound to be produced synthetically. This was the beginning of organic chemistry in 1828. Due to its high nitrogen content of almost 50%, it is the most important nitrogen-based fertiliser in the world, also used in viticulture. During fermentation, small amounts of urea can also enter the wine, where it reacts with ethanol over a longer period of time to form ethyl carbamate. If the amount of urea exceeds 1 mg/l in wines intended for longer storage, the urea can be broken down into ammonia and carbon dioxide by means of the enzyme urease and thus reduced.

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