creatine

Term: creatine

Literally meaning: (fem) "flesh component"
Origin: Anc Greek

κρέας/creas(=flesh, meat)

+ίνη/-ine(-=(-ine) =chemical suffix

Coined/History

in 1835 by French chemist and philosopher Michel-Eugène Chevreul (1786-1889) in the juice of flesh and named by him. Soon afterwards, a German scientist, Justus von Liebig promoted creatine, on the grounds that it would give the body strength for extra work. Liebig observed that wild foxes contain more intramuscular creatine than foxes kept in captivity (inactive).

Definition

Creatine is an organic compound synthesized during metabolism of three aminoacids  (arginine, glycine, and methionine). Phosphorylated form of creatine (phosphocreatine),  serves as the energy storage form of cells  mainly in muscle contraction.