leukotriene Hear it!

leukotriene definition

leuko·tri·ene (lo̵̅o̅′kō trī′ēn′, -kə-)

noun

any of a group of compounds similar to the prostaglandins, which are released in the body when various cells are stimulated as by pollen, and cause constriction of air passages, swelling, and inflammation, as in asthma and rheumatoid arthritis

Etymology: leuko- (var. of leuco-) + tri- + -ene: it contains three double bonds

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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