heparin

[hep-uh-rin]

noun

1. Biochemistry.,  a polysaccharide, occurring in various tissues, especially the liver, and having anticoagulent properties.

2. Pharmacology.,  a commercial form of this substance, obtained from the liver and lungs of domesticated food animals, that when injected into the blood prevents coagulation: used chiefly in the treatment of thrombosis.

heparin

/ ˈhɛpərɪn /

noun

1. a polysaccharide, containing sulphate groups, present in most body tissues: an anticoagulant used in the treatment of thrombosis

heparin

1. An acidic glycosaminoglycan found especially in lung and liver tissue that prevents the clotting of blood and is used intravenously in the treatment of thrombosis and embolism.

Other Word Forms

• heparinoid adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of heparin¹

1915–20; < Greek hêpar the liver + -in ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of heparin¹

C20: from Greek hēpar the liver + _-in

Example Sentences

But there have been periodic episodes that have exposed concerns in other sectors, including the 2008 scandal in China over the production of the blood thinner heparin.

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The researchers were able to dissolve them by altering sodium chloride levels in the presence of heparin, a naturally occurring anticoagulant.

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Another plus is that it is a synthetic molecule, unlike the current clinical standard for the past 100 years, heparin.

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More than 11 million people in the United States take anticoagulation or antiplatelet medications, such as heparin or aspirin, to treat serious conditions like heart attack and stroke.

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They include common I.V. pain relievers like fentanyl and morphine, as well as lidocaine, used in local anesthesia, and heparin, used to treat or prevent blood clots.

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