glutamate
glutamate — noun
1. a chemical substance that is added to savoury food to make its natural flavour s
a chemical substance that is added to savoury food to make its natural flavour stronger or more noticeable
A bowl of instant noodle soup can contain a surprising amount of added glutamate.
collocation: added glutamate
The food manufacturer decided to remove all added glutamate from their products after customer complaints.
Emily always checks the ingredient list for monosodium glutamate before buying snacks.
Yan prefers using tomatoes and mushrooms instead of glutamate to give dishes a savoury taste.
Crisps, instant noodles, and canned soups are common sources of added glutamate.
- MSG
short for monosodium glutamate, the specific salt form most commonly added to food; more precise than 'glutamate' in everyday use
- monosodium glutamate
the full chemical name of the most common food-additive form
- flavour enhancer
a broader category that includes glutamate as well as other additives like yeast extracts
文法句型
glutamate + verb (is/acts/adds)
用法筆記
Glutamate occurs naturally in many foods such as tomatoes, cheese, and mushrooms. The form added to processed foods is usually monosodium glutamate (MSG), which is the sodium salt of glutamic acid.
常見錯誤
2. a chemical substance produced by the body that helps send signals between nerve
a chemical substance produced by the body that helps send signals between nerve cells; also any salt or ester formed from the amino acid glutamic acid
Glutamate acts as a neurotransmitter that helps nerve cells send signals to one another.
pattern: glutamate + acts as a neurotransmitter
Chiara's biology textbook explains that glutamate plays a key role in memory formation.
Researchers are studying how abnormal glutamate levels in the brain affect mood disorders.
The human body naturally produces glutamate from the amino acid glutamic acid.
Tunde's lab experiment measured how much glutamate was released by the cell sample.
- glutamic acid salt
the precise chemical description, used mainly in laboratory contexts
- excitatory neurotransmitter
describes glutamate's function in the brain specifically
- GABA
the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain, which works in opposition to glutamate's excitatory role
文法句型
glutamate + acts as / functions as ...
glutamate levels / glutamate receptors
用法筆記
In biochemistry, this sense most often refers to glutamate's role as an excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. In chemistry, it describes any salt or ester derived from glutamic acid. The two meanings overlap — for example, the neurotransmitter form is chemically a salt of glutamic acid.