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Putrescine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Putrescine | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Chemical name | 1,4-Diaminobutane |
| Other names | Tetramethylenediamine Butane-1,4-diamine |
| Chemical formula | C4H12N2 |
| Molecular mass | 88.15 g·mol−1 |
| CAS number | [110-60-1] |
| Density | 0.877 g·cm−3 |
| Melting point | 27 °C |
| Boiling point | 158-160 °C |
| SMILES | C(N)CCCN |
| Disclaimer and references | |
Putrescine (sometimes spelled putrescin or putrescene) is an organic chemical compound NH2(CH2)4NH2 (1,4-diaminobutane or butanediamine) formed by and having the smell of rotting flesh.
It is related to cadaverine; both are produced by the breakdown of amino acids in living and dead organisms. Putrescine and cadaverine were first described by the Berlin physician Ludwig Brieger in 1885.
Putrescine is synthesized in small quantities by healthy living cells by the action of ornithine decarboxylase. The polyamines, of which putrescine is one of the simplest, appear to be growth factors necessary for cell division.
Other foul-smelling chemical compounds include methanethiol and butyric acid.
Putrescine is featured as a non-lethal weapon in the science fiction novel Zodiac, by Neal Stephenson.