Urea, << yu REE uh or YUR ee uh, >> also called carbamide, is a nitrogen-rich organic compound produced by the bodies of human beings and many other animals. It is also made artificially for use in such varied products as cattle feed, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, and plastics.
Urea is a white crystal or powder that dissolves readily in water. The human body produces urea as a means of ridding itself of excess nitrogen. Urea forms chiefly in the liver, and is eliminated mostly in the urine.
Urea was the first organic compound to be artificially produced from inorganic material. In 1828, the German chemist Friedrich Wohler made urea by heating a water solution of ammonium cyanate, an inorganic compound. Wohler’s work helped to overthrow the belief that organic compounds could be formed only by natural forces operating within living organisms.
