Taurine , or
2-aminoethanesulfonic acid, is an
organic acid widely distributed in animal tissues. It is a major constituent of
bile and can be found in the
large intestine, and accounts for up to 0.1% of total human body weight. Taurine has many fundamental biological roles, such as conjugation of
bile acids,
antioxidation,
osmoregulation,
membrane stabilization, and modulation of
calcium signaling. It is essential for
cardiovascular function, and development and function of
skeletal muscle, the
retina, and the
central nervous system. Taurine is unusual among biological molecules in being a
sulfonic acid, while the vast majority of biologically occurring acids contain the more weakly acidic
carboxyl group. While taurine is sometimes called an amino acid, and indeed is an
acid containing an
amino group, it is not an
amino acid in the usual biochemical meaning of the term, which refers to compounds containing both an
amino and a
carboxyl group.
