Topic summary
Naturally occurring phenol
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Naturally occurring phenols.
In biochemistry, naturally occurring phenols are natural products containing at least one phenolfunctional group. Phenolic compounds are produced by plants and microorganisms. Organisms sometimes synthesize phenolic compounds in response to ecological pressures such as pathogen and insect attack, UV radiation and wounding. As they are present in food regularly consumed by humans and in plants used in the traditional medicine systems of several cultures, their role in human health and disease is a subject of research.