carnitine

car·ni·tine   (kär'nĭ-tēn')    n.  A betaine commonly occurring in the liver and in skeletal muscle that functions in fatty acid transport across mitochondrial membranes. [German Karnitin, from Karnin, a basic substance derived from meat, from Latin carō, carn-, flesh; see carnal.]

Main Entry: car·ni·tine
Pronunciation: 'kär-n&-"tEn
Function: noun
: a quaternary ammonium compoundC₇H₁₅NO₃ present especially in vertebrate muscle and involved in the transfer of fatty acids across mitochondrial membranes

carnitine car·ni·tine (kär'nĭ-tēn')
n.
A betaine commonly occurring in the liver and in skeletal muscle that functions in the transport of fatty acids across mitochondrial membranes.

carnitine   (kär'nĭ-tēn')  Pronunciation Key  A betaine commonly occurring in the liver and in skeletal muscle that is essential for fatty acid transport across mitochondrial membranes. Chemical formula: C7H15NO3.

carnitine

a water-soluble, vitamin-like compound related to the amino acids. It is an essential growth factor for mealworms and is present in striated (striped) muscle and liver tissue of higher animals. Carnitine, which can be synthesized by the higher animals, is associated with the transfer of fatty substances from the bloodstream to active sites of fatty-acid oxidation within muscle cells. It regulates the rate of oxidation of fatty acids and may afford the means by which a cell can rapidly shift its metabolic patterns (e.g., from fat synthesis to fat breakdown)

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