Taurine

Taurine
Names
	Preferred IUPAC name 2-Aminoethanesulfonic acid
	Other names Tauric acid
Identifiers
CAS Number	107-35-7 ;
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image;
ChEBI	CHEBI:15891 ;
ChEMBL	ChEMBL239243 ;
ChemSpider	1091 ;
DrugBank	DB01956 ;
ECHA InfoCard	100.003.168
IUPHAR/BPS	2379;
KEGG	D00047 ;
PubChem CID	1123;
UNII	1EQV5MLY3D ;
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID3021304 ;
	InChI InChI=1S/C2H7NO3S/c3-1-2-7(4,5)6/h1-3H2,(H,4,5,6) Key: XOAAWQZATWQOTB-UHFFFAOYSA-N ; InChI=1/C2H7NO3S/c3-1-2-7(4,5)6/h1-3H2,(H,4,5,6) Key: XOAAWQZATWQOTB-UHFFFAOYAA;
	SMILES O=S(=O)(O)CCN;
Properties
Chemical formula	C2H7NO3S
Molar mass	125.14 g/mol
Appearance	colorless or white solid
Density	1.734 g/cm3 (at −173.15 °C)
Melting point	305.11 °C (581.20 °F; 578.26 K) Decomposes into simple molecules
Acidity (pKa)	<0, 9.06
Related compounds
Related compounds	Sulfamic acid; Aminomethanesulfonic acid; Homotaurine
	Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). verify (what is ?) Infobox references

Taurine (/ˈtɔːriːn/), or 2-aminoethanesulfonic acid, is a naturally occurring amino sulfonic acid that is widely distributed in animal tissues. It is a major constituent of bile and can be found in the large intestine. It is named after Latin taurus (cognate to Ancient Greek ταῦρος, taûros) meaning bull or ox, as it was first isolated from ox bile in 1827 by German scientists Friedrich Tiedemann and Leopold Gmelin. It was identified in human bile in 1846 by Edmund Ronalds.

Although taurine is abundant in human organs, it is not an essential human dietary nutrient and is not included among nutrients with a recommended intake level. Among the diverse pathways by which natural taurine can be biosynthesized, its human pathways (primarily in the human liver) are from cysteine and/or methionine.

Taurine is commonly sold as a dietary supplement, but there is no good clinical evidence that taurine supplements provide any benefit to human health. Taurine is used as a food additive for cats (who require it as an essential nutrient), dogs, and poultry.