lectin

[ lek-tin ]
/ ˈlɛk tɪn /

noun Biochemistry.

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

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

Example sentences from the Web for lectin

British Dictionary definitions for lectin

lectin
/ (ˈlɛktɪn) /

noun

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

Word Origin for lectin

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

Medical definitions for lectin

lectin
[ lĕktĭn ]

n.

Any of several plant glycoproteins that bind to specific carbohydrate groups on the cell membranes, used in the laboratory to stimulate proliferation of lymphocytes and to agglutinate red blood cells.