Dictionary
Thesaurus
Reference
Translate
Web
Related Searches
on Ask.com
Nearby Entries
xanthine - 6 dictionary results
Xanthin - Cheap Prices
 Get the Best Value on Xanthin. Find NexTag Sellers' Lowest Price!
 www.NexTag.com

xan⋅thine

  [zan-theen, -thin]
Use xanthine in a Sentence
–noun Biochemistry, Chemistry.
1. a crystalline, nitrogenous compound, C5H4N4O2, related to uric acid, occurring in urine, blood, and certain animal and vegetable tissues.
2. any derivative of this compound.
Origin:
1855–60; < F; see xantho-, -ine 2
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To xanthine
xan·thine   (zān'thēn', -thĭn)   
n.  
  1. A yellowish-white, crystalline purine base, C5H4N4O2, that is a precursor of uric acid and is found in blood, urine, muscle tissue, and certain plants.
  2. Any of several derivatives of this compound.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source

Xanthine

Xan"thine\, n. Also Xanthin \Xan"thin\ . [Gr. xanqo`s yellow.] (Physiol. Chem.) A white microcrystalline nitrogenous compound, C5H4O2N4, present in muscle tissue, in the liver, spleen, pancreas, and other organs, and also in urine (in small quantities) and some urinary calculi, and in the juices of certain plants; -- so called because it leaves a yellow residue when evaporated to dryness with nitric acid. Xanthine is closely related to uric acid.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
Cite This Source

Main Entry: xan·thine
Pronunciation: 'zan-"thEn
Function: noun
: a feebly basic compound C5H4N4O2 thatoccurs especially in animal or plant tissue, is derived from guanine and hypoxanthine, and yields uric acid on oxidation; also : any of various derivatives of this
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source

xanthine xan·thine (zān'thēn', -thĭn)
n.

  1. A yellowish-white crystalline purine base that is a precursor of uric acid and is found in blood, urine, and muscle tissue.
  2. Any of several derivatives of this compound.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
xanthine   (zān'thēn', -thĭn)  Pronunciation Key 
  1. Any of various purines having two oxygen atoms attached to the six-member ring of carbon and nitrogen atoms. Xanthines include caffeine, theophylline (a toxic alkaloid found in tea leaves), and theobromine (a toxic alkaloid found in cocoa).
  2. The simplest of this class of compounds, forming yellowish-white crystals. It is produced in the body as an intermediate stage in the breakdown of purines to uric acid. It is also found in blood and in certain plants. Chemical formula: C5H4N4O2.
  3. Any of several derivatives of this compound.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see xanthine on Thesaurus | Reference
Xanthin - Cheap Prices
 Get the Best Value on Xanthin. Find NexTag Sellers' Lowest Price!
 www.NexTag.com