acrasin

[uh-krey-sin]

noun

Mycology.

1. a chemotactic substance, identical with cAMP, secreted by myxamebas of cellular slime molds and attracting other myxamebas to aggregate and form a pseudoplasmodium.

Word History and Origins

Origin of acrasin¹

1945–50; < New Latin Acras ( iales ) an order of cellular slime molds ( Acras ( is ) a genus, so named from the lack of fusion between the cells (< Greek; a- ⁶, crasis ) + -ales -ales ) + -in ²

Example Sentences

Then, a bell sounds, and acrasin is released by special cells toward which the others converge in stellate ranks, touch, fuse together, and construct the slug, solid as a trout.

From Literature