XANTHINE

xanthine

(noun) crystalline oxidation product of the metabolism of nucleoproteins; precursor of uric acid; found in many organs and in urine

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

xanthine (plural xanthines)

(chemistry) Any of a group of alkaloids that include caffeine, theophylline, and theobromine as well as the parent compound, a precursor of uric acid found in many organs of the body.

Usage notes

• There is much confusion between this word and xanthein, and they are often interchanged.

Anagrams

• xanthein

Source: Wiktionary

Xan"thine, n. Also Xan"thin . [Gr. xanqo`s yellow.] (Physiol. Chem.)

Definition: 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.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition