{ Xan″thine (?), n. Also Xan″thin }. [Gr. ξανθόσ yellow.] (Physiol. Chem.) A white microcrystalline nitrogenous compound, C5H4O2N4, present in muscle tissue, in the liver, spleen, pancreas, and other organs, and also in urine (in small quantities) and some urinary calculi, and in the juices of certain plants; — so called because it leaves a yellow residue when evaporated to dryness with nitric acid. Xanthine is closely related to uric acid.
Content
Rights and sources
Review source, license and attribution information for this content.
Content
Webster's Dictionary 1913
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, C. & G. Merriam Co., 1913.