actin

[ ak-tuh n ]
/ ˈæk tən /

noun Biochemistry.

a globulin that is present in muscle plasma and that in connection with myosin plays an important role in muscle contraction.

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Origin of actin

1940–45; perhaps act + -in2

Words nearby actin

actant, actg, actg., acth, acth-producing adenoma, actin, actin filament, actin-, actinal, acting, acting area

Definition for actin (2 of 2)

actin-

variant of actino- before a vowel: actinism.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for actin

British Dictionary definitions for actin

actin
/ (ˈæktɪn) /

noun

a protein that participates in many kinds of cell movement, including muscle contraction, during which it interacts with filaments of a second protein, myosin

Word Origin for actin

C20: from act + -in
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for actin

actin
[ ăk′tĭn ]

n.

One of the protein components found in muscle, existing as F-actin or G-actin, into which actomyosin can be split and which acts with myosin in muscle contraction.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Scientific definitions for actin

actin
[ ăk′tĭn ]

A protein found in all eukaryotic cells, forming filaments that make up a main component of the cell's supporting matrix or cytoskeleton. Actin and the protein myosin together make up the contractile units (called sarcomeres) of skeletal muscle fibers.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.