avidins
|av-i-din|
/ˈævɪdɪn/
(avidin)
biotin-binding egg protein
Etymology
'avidin' originates from English, formed from the adjective 'avid' (ultimately from Latin 'avidus') combined with the protein-forming suffix '-in'.
'avidin' was coined in modern biochemical nomenclature (20th century) from English 'avid' + '-in'; 'avid' itself comes from Latin 'avidus' meaning 'eager' or 'greedy'.
The name originally reflected the word element 'avid' meaning 'eager' (from Latin 'avidus') and was applied metaphorically to the protein's strong ('eager') binding to biotin; the term now specifically denotes the biotin-binding protein.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a protein (found in egg white of birds) that binds very tightly to biotin (vitamin B7); used in biochemical assays, affinity purification, and molecular biology applications.
Avidins are commonly used in affinity chromatography to isolate biotinylated molecules.
Last updated: 2025/12/02 13:22