Asked by: Annita Hutchinson
Asked in category: medical health, hormonal disorders
Last Updated: 29th Mar 2024

What does mannitol mean in biology?

Mannitol, a naturally occurring alcohol that is found in fruits and vegetables, can be used as an osmotic uretic. Mannitol can also be used in research tools for cell biological studies to control osmolarity. Chemically, Mannitol can be described as an alcohol, a sugar, or polyol. It is very similar to sorbitol and xylitol.



Similar questions are asked: What is Mannitol? And why is it used.

Mannitol, a diuretic, is used to lower swelling and pressure around the eyes or the brain. Mannitol can also be used for increasing your body's ability to produce more urine. This medicine is prescribed to treat kidney disease and remove excess water from the body.

You may also wonder, "How does Mannitol work in your body?" What is Mannitol and what is its mechanism of action? Mannitol, a naturally occurring substance, causes the body lose water (diuresis). This is done through osmosis. Mannitol promotes diuresis by increasing kidney filter concentrations and blocking the reabsorption water by the kidney tubules.

This being said, what can mannitol be found in?

Mannitol can be found in abundance in nature, especially in the exudates of trees and marine algae, as well as fresh mushrooms. It is an isomer to sorbitol, and it is usually produced by hydrogenation of specialty sugar syrups.

What is Mannitol in Plants?

Mannitol is a non-cyclic six-carbon sugar liquor that can be found in both plants and fungi. Mannitol is also an oxygen radical quencher in vitro (Smirnoff & Cumbes 1989) and in vivo(Shen et. al. 1997a,b).