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.

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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

Words nearby carnitine

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Medical 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.

Scientific 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.