What is urea in the body?
Urea (also known as carbamide) is a waste product of many living organisms, and is the major organic component of human urine. This is because it is at the end of chain of reactions which break down the amino acids that make up proteins.
What is urea and its function?
Urea serves an important role in the metabolism of nitrogen-containing compounds by animals and is the main nitrogen-containing substance in the urine of mammals. It is a colorless, odorless solid, highly soluble in water, and practically non-toxic (LD 50 is 15 g/kg for rats).
What is the medical definition of BUN?
Nitrogen in the blood that comes from urea (a substance formed by the breakdown of protein in the liver). The kidneys filter urea out of the blood and into the urine. A high level of urea nitrogen in the blood may be a sign of a kidney problem. Also called BUN and urea nitrogen.
How is urea used?
While over 90% of urea produced is used as a fertilizer, it has other uses, which include the manufacture of the melamine, used in melamine-methanal resins. Urea itself also forms important resins. An increasingly important use of urea is in reducing air pollution from diesel engines in cars, buses and lorries.
What if urea is high?
Uremia can lead to kidney failure when left untreated. Someone with uremia may have seizures, loss of consciousness, heart attacks, and other life-threatening symptoms. Some will need a kidney transplant. Kidney failure may also damage other organs, so untreated uremia can result in liver or heart failure.
What does urea mean in medical dictionary?
Urea: A nitrogen-containing substance normally cleared from the blood by the kidney into the urine. Diseases that compromise the function of the kidney often lead to increased blood levels of urea, as measured by the blood urea nitrogen (BUN) test.
What is normal urine urea?
Understanding your test results. A normal urea level in the urine is 12 to 20 grams over 24 hours. Individual labs may have reference ranges that vary slightly and can be different based on sex or age.
What does high urea level in blood mean?
High levels of urea in the blood are an indication that the level of nitrogen waste products in the blood is high. This occurs because the kidneys fail to filter out the wastes as they should and consequently there are high levels of urea and nitrogen in the blood and this is toxic for the body.
What does an increased urea mean?
Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) If increased amounts of urea are produced by the liver or if the kidneys are not working properly and have difficulty filtering wastes out of the blood, then urea concentrations will rise in the blood. If significant liver damage or disease inhibits the production of urea , then BUN concentrations may fall.