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Glite Dictionary
💎 Clear like glass 👁️ Eye lens protein
crystallin

crystallin

8.9
A protein in the eye lens that keeps it clear
  • noun
  • /ˈkrɪstəlɪn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : cristalina
  • Among the proteins that are cross-linked through the interaction of sugar and proteins are the crystallins of the human lens and the membrane proteins of the kidney and blood vessels.
  • proteins called crystallins

Examples

  • Without sufficient crystallin, the lens of the eye can become opaque, leading to vision problems.

  • Researchers were most interested in measuring the levels of a protein called alpha-crystallin, which binds to damaged proteins and keeps them from clumping together.

    Academic text (2009)

  • "Lens cells make a specific, predominant set of proteins called crystallins," says bio-organic chemist Allen Taylor.

    Academic text (2003)

  • Alpha-crystallin is essential for maintaining the transparency of the eye's lens by preventing protein aggregation.

  • The crystallin proteins in the lens help to focus light clearly onto the retina.

Surface Forms

crystallin singular
crystallins plural

Morphology

crystallin = crystal (semi-transparent) = crystal + in

Formally built from 'crystal' + the substance-naming suffix '-in', but the specific technical meaning 'a lens protein' is specialized and not directly inferable by a general learner.

Etymology

Crystallin is the name for proteins in the eye lens and the word is made from the root crystal from old Greek meaning 'ice' or 'crystal' plus the protein ending -in, as in insulin. They are called crystallin because they help the lens stay 'clear' like a crystal, so when they change the lens can become cloudy.