What is "imidazole"

n. 1 (context organic compound English) A heterocyclic organic compound containing two nitrogen atoms separated by a carbon atom in a five-membered ring, called ''1,3-diazole'' in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IUPAC%20nomenclature. 2 (context organic compound English) A group of compounds containing that structure.

n. an organic base C3H4N2; a histamine inhibitor [syn: iminazole, glyoxaline]

Imidazole is an organic compound with the formula CNH. It is a white or colourless solid that is soluble in water, producing a mildly alkaline solution. In chemistry, it is an aromatic heterocycle, classified as a diazole, and having non-adjacent nitrogen atoms.

Many natural products, especially alkaloids, contain the imidazole ring. These imidazoles share the 1,3-CN ring but feature varied substituents. This ring system is present in important biological building blocks, such as histidine and the related hormone histamine. Many drugs contain an imidazole ring, such as certain antifungal drugs, the nitroimidazole series of antibiotics, and the sedative midazolam.

When fused to a pyrimidine ring, it forms purine, which is the most widely occurring nitrogen-containing heterocycle in nature.