Xanthine

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Xanthine \Xan"thine\, n. Also Xanthin \Xan"thin\ . [Gr. xanqo`s
     yellow.] (Physiol. Chem.)
     A type of purine obtainable as a white microcrystalline
     powder, {C5H4O2N4}, present in muscle tissue, in the liver,
     spleen, pancreas, and other organs, and also in urine (in
     small quantities) and some urinary calculi, and in the juices


     of certain plants; -- so called because it leaves a yellow
     residue when evaporated to dryness with nitric acid. It is
     also present in guano. Xanthine is closely related to uric
     acid.
     [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  xanthine
       n : crystalline oxidation product of the metabolism of
           nucleoproteins; precursor of uric acid; found in many
           organs and in urine