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putrescine
noun
pu·tres·cine
pyü-ˈtre-ˌsēn
: a crystalline slightly poisonous ptomaine C4H12N2 that occurs in small amounts in virtually all living things
Examples of putrescine in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The stinkhorns’ unmistakable scents come from volatile organic compounds with apt names like putrescine and cadaverdine.
—Christie Wilcox, Discover Magazine, 14 Feb. 2016
Brown University neuroscientist Carlos Aizenman discovered that putrescine granted seizure-prone tadpoles 25% more seizure resistance for up to four hours after their initial seizure.
—Patrick Morgan, Discover Magazine, 14 Mar. 2011
Chemistry professor Timothy Swager and colleagues ran a minute electrical current through tiny cylinders of carbon atoms called nanotubes to detect compounds that rotting meat exudes — chemicals with evocative names like putrescine and cadaverine.
—Katherine Kornei, Discover Magazine, 20 Jan. 2016
Not solely the sign of a rotting carcass, cadaverine and putrescine also show up in urine and bad breath.
—Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 13 Nov. 2013
The presence of salt slows this fermentation process, promoting lactic acid bacteria that defeat pathogens and such foul-smelling toxins as cadaverine and putrescine.
—Taras Grescoe, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Oct. 2021
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Word History
Etymology
International Scientific Vocabulary, from Latin putrescere
First Known Use
1887, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near putrescine
Cite this Entry
“Putrescine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/putrescine. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Medical Definition
putrescine
noun
pu·tres·cine
-ˈtres-ˌēn
: a crystalline slightly poisonous ptomaine C4H12N2 that is formed by decarboxylation of ornithine, occurs widely but in small amounts in living things, and is found especially in putrid flesh
More from Merriam-Webster on putrescine
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about putrescine
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