lectin

[ lek-tin ]

nounBiochemistry.
  1. any of a group of proteins that bind to particular carbohydrates in the manner of an antibody and are commonly extracted from plants for use as an agglutinin, as in clumping red blood cells for blood typing.

Origin of lectin

1
1954; <Latin lēct(us), past participle of legere to gather, select, read + -in2

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British Dictionary definitions for lectin

lectin

/ (ˈlɛktɪn) /


noun
  1. a type of protein possessing high affinity for a specific sugar; lectins are often highly toxic

Origin of lectin

1
C20: from Latin lectus, past participle of legere to select + -in

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