Carbamic acid is a compound that is unstable under normal circumstances. It is technically the simplest amino acid

Amino acid

Amino acids are molecules containing an amine group, a carboxylic acid group and a side-chain that varies between different amino acids. The key elements of an amino acid are carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen...

, though its instability (and the unique nature of the carboxyl-nitrogen bond) allows glycine

Glycine

Glycine is an organic compound with the formula NH2CH2COOH. Having a hydrogen substituent as its 'side chain', glycine is the smallest of the 20 amino acids commonly found in proteins. Its codons are GGU, GGC, GGA, GGG cf. the genetic code.Glycine is a colourless, sweet-tasting crystalline solid...

 to assume this title. Its importance is due more to its relevance in identifying the names of larger compounds. Carbamic acid itself has not been synthesized or characterized by any experimental technique.

The radical is called "carbamoyl". "Carbamoyltransferases" are transferase

Transferase

In biochemistry, a transferase is an enzyme that catalyzes the transfer of a functional group from one molecule to another . For example, an enzyme that catalyzed this reaction would be a transferase:In this example, A would be the donor, and B would be the acceptor...

 enzyme

Enzyme

Enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions. In enzymatic reactions, the molecules at the beginning of the process, called substrates, are converted into different molecules, called products. Almost all chemical reactions in a biological cell need enzymes in order to occur at rates...

s classified under EC number

EC number

The Enzyme Commission number is a numerical classification scheme for enzymes, based on the chemical reactions they catalyze....

 2.1.3.
Carbamic acids are intermediates in the decomposition of carbamate protecting group

Protecting group

A protecting group or protective group is introduced into a molecule by chemical modification of a functional group in order to obtain chemoselectivity in a subsequent chemical reaction...

s; the hydrolysis of an ester bond produces carbamic acid the evolution of carbon dioxide drives the deprotection reaction forward, yielding the unprotected amine

Amine

Amines are organic compounds and functional groups that contain a basic nitrogen atom with a lone pair. Amines are derivatives of ammonia, wherein one or more hydrogen atoms have been replaced by a substituent such as an alkyl or aryl group. Important amines include amino acids, biogenic amines,...

.

Carbamates

Carbamate

Carbamate

Carbamates are organic compounds derived from carbamic acid . A carbamate group, carbamate ester, and carbamic acids are functional groups that are inter-related structurally and often are interconverted chemically. Carbamate esters are also called urethanes.-Synthesis:Carbamic acids are derived...

 is an ester

Ester

Esters are chemical compounds derived by reacting an oxoacid with a hydroxyl compound such as an alcohol or phenol. Esters are usually derived from an inorganic acid or organic acid in which at least one -OH group is replaced by an -O-alkyl group, and most commonly from carboxylic acids and...

 of carbamic acid. Methyl carbamate

Methyl carbamate

Methyl carbamate is an organic compound and the simplest ester of the hypothetical carbamic acid . Its sum formula is C2H5NO2....

 is the simplest ester of carbamic acid.

Some esters have use as muscle relaxant

Muscle relaxant

A muscle relaxant is a drug which affects skeletal muscle function and decreases the muscle tone. It may be used to alleviate symptoms such as muscle spasms, pain, and hyperreflexia. The term "muscle relaxant" is used to refer to two major therapeutic groups: neuromuscular blockers and spasmolytics...

s,
while others are used as insecticides, for example aldicarb

Aldicarb

Aldicarb is a carbamate insecticide which is the active substance in the pesticide Temik. It is effective against thrips, aphids, spider mites, lygus, fleahoppers, and leafminers, but is primarily used as a nematicide. Aldicarb is a cholinesterase inhibitor which prevents the breakdown of...

.