dextran Hear it!

dextran definition

dex·tran (deks′tran′, -trən)

noun

a chainlike polymer of glucose produced by certain strains of bacteria acting on sucrose, as in sugar-refinery tanks, in various fermentation processes, or in the formation of dental plaque: it is used as a substitute or expander for blood plasma, in confections, etc.

Etymology: dextr- + -an

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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