Biotransformation: The chemical alteration of an exogenous substance by or in a biological system. The alteration may inactivate the compound or it may result in the production of an active metabolite of an inactive parent compound. The alterations may be divided into METABOLIC DETOXICATION, PHASE I and METABOLIC DETOX

NIH MeSH · D001711Phenomena and Processes

Biotransformation

Definition

The chemical alteration of an exogenous substance by or in a biological system. The alteration may inactivate the compound or it may result in the production of an active metabolite of an inactive parent compound. The alterations may be divided into METABOLIC DETOXICATION, PHASE I and METABOLIC DETOXICATION, PHASE II.

MeSH classification

  • G03.171
  • G03.787.225
  • G07.690.725.225

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Related concepts

Absorption

The physical or physiological processes by which substances, tissue, cells, etc. take up or take in other substances or energy.

Absorption, Physiological

Uptake of substances by the body, tissues, or cells. The uptake may occur by various forms of BIOLOGICAL TRANSPORT or by simple DIFFUSION.

Acetylation

Formation of an acetyl derivative. (Stedman, 25th ed)

Acid-Base Equilibrium

The balance between acids and bases in the BODY FLUIDS. The pH (HYDROGEN-ION CONCENTRATION) of the arterial BLOOD provides an index for the …

Activation, Metabolic

The conversion of an exogenous substance by a biological system resulting in the production on an active metabolite.

Active Transport, Cell Nucleus

Gated transport mechanisms by which proteins or RNA are moved across the NUCLEAR MEMBRANE.

Acylation

The addition of an organic acid radical into a molecule.

ADP-Ribosylation

Post-translational modification of proteins with ADENOSINE DIPHOSPHATE RIBOSE.

Common questions about Biotransformation

What does Biotransformation mean in medicine?
The chemical alteration of an exogenous substance by or in a biological system. The alteration may inactivate the compound or it may result in the production of an active metabolite of an inactive parent compound. The alterations may be divided into METABOLIC DETOXICATION, PHASE I and METABOLIC DETOXICATION, PHASE II. This definition is taken from the National Library of Medicine's MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) 2026 release, which is the standard vocabulary used to index PubMed and most medical literature.
Is Biotransformation known by any other names?
Biotransformation is the canonical name in the MeSH vocabulary. There are no commonly used alternate names for this concept in the official NIH database.
Where does Biotransformation sit in the medical classification?
Biotransformation falls under the broader medical category "Phenomena and Processes" in the MeSH hierarchy (tree numbers: G03.171, G03.787.225, G07.690.725.225). Browsing the related concepts on this page takes you to neighbouring topics in the same branch of medicine.
Where can I get a plain-language explanation of Biotransformation?
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Source: NIH MeSH 2026 (D001711) — National Library of Medicine, public domain. View official MeSH record ↗