phycocyanin

American

[fahy-koh-sahy-uh-nin] / ˌfaɪ koʊˈsaɪ ə nɪn /

noun

Biochemistry.

a blue protein pigment, found in algae, involved in the process of photosynthesis.

Etymology

Origin of phycocyanin

First recorded in 1870–75; phyco- + cyan- ¹ + -in ²

Example Sentences

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phycocyanin

Named after the blue-green pigment they use for this process, called phycocyanin, cyanobacteria also make oxygen and are given the credit for creating Earth's atmosphere about 2.4bn years ago.

From The Guardian ● Jan. 8, 2013

Named after the blue-green pigment they use for this process, called phycocyanin, cyanobacteria also make oxygen and are given the credit for creating Earth’s atmosphere about 2.4 billion years ago.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 31, 2012

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