carnitine

[ kahr-ni-teen ]
/ ˈkɑr nɪˌtin /

noun Biochemistry.

a dipolar compound that occurs in muscle and liver and is involved in the transport of fatty acids across the inner mitochondrial membrane.

Origin of carnitine

1920–25; < German Carnitin, equivalent to Latin carni- (combining form of carō, genitive carnis meat, flesh) + -tin apparently arbitrarily chosen suffix (cf. -in2, -ine2); so called because it was first isolated in meat extract

Words nearby carnitine

carniferous, carnification, carnify, carniola, carnitas, carnitine, carnival, carnival glass, carnivalesque, carnivora, carnivore

Medical definitions for carnitine

carnitine
[ 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.

Scientific definitions for carnitine

carnitine
[ kär′nĭ-tēn′ ]

A betaine commonly occurring in the liver and in skeletal muscle that is essential for fatty acid transport across mitochondrial membranes. Chemical formula: C7H15NO3.