imidazole, any of a class of organic compounds of the heterocyclic series characterized by a ring structure composed of three carbon atoms and two nitrogen atoms at nonadjacent positions. The simplest member of the imidazole family is imidazole itself, a compound with molecular formula C3H4N2.
Imidazole was first prepared in 1858. Other imidazole compounds have been known longer: allantoin (discovered in 1800) and parabanic acid were prepared in 1837 from uric acid. The amino acid histidine and its decomposition product histamine have the imidazole structure, as does biotin, a growth factor for both humans and yeast.