leukotriene

[ loo-kuh-trahy-een ]

noun

, Biochemistry.

1. a lipid, C 20 H 30 O 3 , produced by white blood cells in an immune response to antigens, that contributes to allergic asthma and inflammatory reactions.

leukotriene

/ ˌluːkəʊˈtraɪiːn /

noun

1. one of a class of products of metabolic conversion of arachidonic acid; the active constituents of slow-reacting substance, responsible for bronchial constriction, contraction of smooth muscle, and inflammatory processes

Word History and Origins

Origin of leukotriene¹

First recorded in 1975–80; leuko- + triene

Word History and Origins

Origin of leukotriene¹

C20: from leukocyte, in which they were discovered + triene from the conjugated triene unit that they contain