spectrin

[ spek-trin ]

/ ˈspɛk trɪn /

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noun Biochemistry.

a rodlike structural protein of the red blood cell membrane.

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Origin of spectrin

First recorded in 1968; spect(e)r + -in²;cf. ghost (def. 12)

Words nearby spectrin

spectral luminous efficiency, spectral series, spectral type, spectra yellow, spectre, spectrin, spectro-, spectrobolometer, spectrochemical, spectrochemistry, spectrocolorimetry

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British Dictionary definitions for spectrin

spectrin

/ (ˈspɛktrɪn) /

noun

any one of a class of fibrous proteins found in the membranes of red blood cells, the brain, the intestine, etc

Word Origin for spectrin

C20: from spectr (e) + -in, referring to the ghosts (isolated cell membranes) of red blood cells, the source of the first known member of the class

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

Medical definitions for spectrin

spectrin

[ spĕk′trĭn ]

A contractile protein of high molecular weight that is a component of a network in the membrane of red blood cells, giving the cells flexibility.