definitions

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.

Nearby words

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

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
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Medicine 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.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Science 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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.