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urea
(u-reŽә)
a substance found in urine, blood, and lymph, the chief nitrogenous constituent of urine, and the primary nitrogenous end-product of protein metabolism; it is formed in the liver from amino acids or ammonia compounds. The amount of urea in the urine increases both as tissues undergo disintegration and repair, and as the amount of protein in the diet is more than the body
can use. When a person has renal failure, the concentration of urea in the blood may be greatly increased, as revealed by measurement of the blood urea nitrogen (BUN).
a pharmaceutical preparation of this compound, administered intravenously as an osmotic diuretic to lower intracranial or intraocular pressure, injected through the abdomen into the amniotic sac to induce abortion of a second trimester pregnancy, and included in topical preparations to moisten and soften rough, dry skin.
urea nitrogen
the urea concentration of serum or plasma, conventionally specified in terms of nitrogen content and called blood urea nitrogen (BUN), an important indicator of renal function.
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