Hyaluronan
/ˌhaɪ.əˈlʊr.ə.næn/noun
A naturally occurring polysaccharide found in connective tissue, skin, joints, and other body fluids.
Did you know?The name’s “hyal-” refers to the glass-like appearance of the substance’s tissue-associated form, while “uron-” connects it to uronic acids historically associated with urine chemistry.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ὕαλος (hýalos)
“Glass; a transparent or glass-like substance”
Ancient Greek
Greek
οὖρον (oûron)
“Urine”
19th Century
Scientific Latin/English
uronic acid
“A class of sugar-derived acids named with reference to the uron- root associated with urine”
1934
Scientific English
hyaluronic acid
“Name introduced for the viscous polysaccharide isolated from the vitreous body of the eye”
1986
Scientific English
hyaluronan
“Standardized name for the polysaccharide, avoiding implication that it exists only as an acid”