17. Uric Acid is a Byproduct of Normal Body Functions Uric acid, C 5 H 4 N 4 O 3 , is the byproduct of the purines; guanine and adenine. Purine is a muscle protein that enters the body either through dietary intake (about 30 percent) or from the breakdown of the body's own cells during cell turnover (about 70 percent).