Imidazole, also known as glyoxaline or 1, 3-diazole, belongs to the class of organic compounds known as imidazoles.

Imidazoles are compounds containing an imidazole ring, which is an aromatic five-member ring with two nitrogen atoms at positions 1 and 3, and three carbon atoms. Imidazole exists as a solid, soluble (in water), and a very weakly acidic compound (based on its pKa).

Imidazole has been found throughout most human tissues, and has also been primarily detected in urine. Within the cell, imidazole is primarily located in the cytoplasm. Imidazole can be converted into 4-aminoimidazole and 2-nitroimidazole.