intrinsic factor

American

noun

Biochemistry.

a glycoprotein, secreted by the gastric mucosa, that is involved in the intestinal absorption of vitamin B 12 .

intrinsic factor British

noun

biochem a glycoprotein, secreted by the stomach, the presence of which is necessary for the absorption of cyanocobalamin (vitamin B 12 ) in the intestine

"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

Etymology

Origin of intrinsic factor

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

intrinsic factor

Others develop autoimmune gastritis, in which the immune system damages stomach cells involved in producing acid and intrinsic factor, the protein needed for vitamin B12 absorption.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 25, 2026

The other substance, called intrinsic factor, mixes with the stomach's contents and travels with them into the first part of the small intestine — the duodenum.

From Salon ● Nov. 30, 2022

Production of gastric acid and intrinsic factor by the specialized parietal cells in the stomach is critical for B12 absorption to occur.

From Salon ● Nov. 30, 2022

However, people whose stomachs don’t secrete enough intrinsic factor may need B12 injections.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 14, 2022

Eleventh Grade Adolescence is an explosive age wherein change is an intrinsic factor.

From Through these Eyes The courageous struggle to find meaning in a life stressed with cancer by Isaacson, Lauren Ann

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023