Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Glycolic Acid

Encyclopedia of Astrobiology

  • 207 Accesses

Synonyms

2-Hydroxyethanoic acid

Definition

Glycolic acid, HOCH2COOH, is the smallest α-hydroxy acid. It is an odorless and colorless hygroscopic crystalline solid at room temperature, and it is highly soluble in water. It plays a minor role in biochemistry and has been found in carbonaceous chondrites and in electric discharge experiments. The hydrolysis of cyanohydrin formed from HCN and formaldehyde yields glycolamide and finally glycolic acid, which may be the source of this compound in meteorites and certain types of prebiotic syntheses.

See Also

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI), Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan

    Henderson James Jim Cleaves II

  2. Institute for Advanced Study, 1 Einstein Drive, Princeton, NJ, USA, 08540

    Henderson James Jim Cleaves II

  3. Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, 2800 Woodley Rd. NW #544, Washington, DC, 20008, USA

    Henderson James Jim Cleaves II

  4. Center for Chemical Evolution, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA

    Henderson James Jim Cleaves II

Authors
  1. Henderson James Jim Cleaves II
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Henderson James Jim Cleaves II .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    Ricardo Amils

  2. Labo. d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux (LAB), Observatoire Aquitain des Sciences de l'Univers (OASU), Floirac CX, France

    Muriel Gargaud

  3. Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), Inst. Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial, Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain

    José Cernicharo Quintanilla

  4. Geophysical Lab., Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

    Henderson James Cleaves

  5. Astronomy Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA

    William M. Irvine

  6. Dépt. Sc. de la Terre et de l’Atmosphère, Université du Québec, Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada

    Daniele Pinti

  7. Centre National d'Etudes Spatiale (CNES) DPI/E2U, Paris CX, France

    Michel Viso

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this entry

Cite this entry

Cleaves, H.J.J. (2014). Glycolic Acid. In: Amils, R., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_659-4

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_659-4

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27833-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Physics and AstronomyReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Glycolic Acid
    Published:
    21 February 2023

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_659-5

  2. Original

    Glycolic Acid
    Published:
    16 April 2015

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_659-4

Search

Navigation