avidin
|av-i-din|
/ˈævɪdɪn/
biotin-binding egg protein
Etymology
'avidin' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'avidus', where 'avid-' meant 'eager' or 'greedy' and the suffix '-in' denoted a protein.
'avidin' was coined in the mid-20th century to name the biotin-binding protein discovered in egg white and has been adopted into modern English as 'avidin'.
Initially the name emphasized the protein's 'greedy' (avid) binding property for biotin, but it has come to denote the specific biotin-binding egg white protein used in biochemical applications.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a biotin‑binding protein originally found in egg white; used in biochemistry for affinity purification and detection because of its extremely high affinity for biotin.
Avidin binds biotin with extremely high affinity and is widely used in affinity assays.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/02 13:08