Unit abbreviations

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Abbreviation

IU; i.u.

mcg or µg

mEq

mol

mmol

pmol

Term

cubic centimeter

deciliter

gram

grain

international units

kilogram, kilo

Liter

milli

microgram

milliequivalent

milligram

millliliter

mole

millimole

nanogram

picogram

picomole

per

International Units

In pharmacology an International Unit is the quantity of a

substance, such as a vitamin, hormone, or toxin, that produces a

specified effect when tested according to an internationally

accepted biological procedure. For certain substances, the IU has

been identified with a weight of a particular purified form of the

material.

For Vitamin A, 1 i.u. = 0.3µg retinol, 3.6µg b-carotene, or 7.2µg

other vitamin A carotenoids

For Vitamin D, 1 i.u. = 0.025µg cholecalciferol

For Vitamin E, 1 i.u. = 0.67µg natural a-tocopherol (different

conversion factors are used for different forms of vitamin E)

Equivalent

milliliter

1/10th of a liter; 100 milliliters

.0353 of an ounce

64.8 mg (in use 60 or 65 mg)

see below

2.2 pounds

1.05 quarts

1/1000th

1/10,000th of a gram

1/1000th of a gram

1/1000th of a liter

molecular weight of a substance

1/1000th of a gram

1/billionth of a gram

1/trillionth of a gram

1/trillionth of a mole

each