Lactic acid Meaning, Definition & Usage
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noun a clear odorless hygroscopic syrupy carboxylic acid found in sour milk and in many fruits
WordNet
Definitions
(Physiol. Chem.) , a sirupy, colorless fluid, soluble in water, with an intensely sour taste and strong acid reaction. There are at least three isomeric modifications all having the formulaC3H6O3 . Sarcolactic or paralactic acid occurs chiefly in dead muscle tissue, while ordinary lactic acid results from fermentation. The two acids are alike in having the same constitution (expressed by the name ethylidene lactic acid), but the latter is optically inactive, while sarcolactic acid rotates the plane of polarization to the right. The third acid, ethylene lactic acid, accompanies sarcolactic acid in the juice of flesh, and is optically inactive.