ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid

EDTA

ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid: a colorless compound, C₁₀H₁₆N₂O₈, capable of chelating a variety of divalent metal cations: used in food preservation, as an anticoagulant, and in the treatment of heavy-metal poisonings.

Thesaurus

Noun

ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid - a complex molecule used medically to chelate metal ions in cases of lead or heavy metal poisoningEDTAmolecule - (physics and chemistry) the simplest structural unit of an element or compound

ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid

[¦eth·ə·lēn¦dī·ə‚mēn‚te·trə·ə′sēd·ik ′as·əd] (organic chemistry) (HOOC-CH₂)₂NCH₂CH₂N(CH₂COOH) White crystals, slightly soluble in water and decomposing above 160°C; the sodium salt is a strong chelating agent, reacting with many metallic ions to form soluble nonionic chelate. Abbreviated EDTA.

ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid

(EDTA) [eth″ĭ-lēn-di″ah-mēn-tet″rah-ah-se´tik] a chelating agent that binds calcium and other metals; used as an anticoagulant for preserving blood specimens. Also used medicinally; see edetate. Called also edetic acid.

eth·yl·ene·di·a·mine·tet·ra·a·ce·tic ac·id (EDTA),

(eth'il-ēn-dī'ă-mēn-tet'ă-sē'tik as'id), A chelating agent used to remove multivalent cations from solution as chelates, and used in biochemical research to remove Mg²⁺, Fe²⁺, among other elements, from reactions affected by such ions. As the sodium salt, used as a water softener, to stabilize drugs rapidly decomposed in the presence of traces of metal ions, and as an anticoagulant; as the sodium calcium salt, used to remove radium, lead, strontium, plutonium, and cadmium from hard tissue, forming stable un-ionized soluble compounds that are excreted by the kidneys. Compare: EGTA. Synonym(s): edathamil, edetic acid

EDTA

Alternative medicine
See Chelation therapy.

Chemistry
A chelating agent that binds divalent (e.g., arsenic, calcium, lead and magnesium) and trivalent cations.

Lab medicine
EDTA is added to blood collection tubes to transport specimens for analysis in chemistry (e.g., CEA, lead, renin) and haematology (it is the preferred anticoagulant for blood cell counts, coagulation studies, haemoglobin electrophoresis and erythrocyte sedimentation rate); in the blood bank, EDTA prevents haemolysis by inhibiting complement binding.

Toxicology
EDTA is used to manage lead and other heavy metal intoxication.

eth·yl·ene·di·a·mine·tet·ra·a·ce·tic ac·id

(EDTA) (eth'i-lēn-dī'ă-mēn-tet'ră-ă-sē'tik as'id) A chelating agent and anticoagulant; added to blood specimens for hematologic and other tests.

ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid

EDTA

ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid

ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid

ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid

ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid

eth·yl·ene·di·a·mine·tet·ra·a·ce·tic ac·id (EDTA),

EDTA

eth·yl·ene·di·a·mine·tet·ra·a·ce·tic ac·id

ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid

Synonyms for ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid

noun a complex molecule used medically to chelate metal ions in cases of lead or heavy metal poisoning

Synonyms

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