mucin

mucin /mu·cin/ (mu´sin)

1. any of a group of protein-containing glycoconjugates with high sialic acid or sulfated polysaccharide content that compose the chief constituent of mucus.

2. any of a wide variety of glycoconjugates, including mucoproteins, glycoproteins, glycosaminoglycans, and glycolipids.

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mu·cin (mysn)

n.

Any of a group of glycoproteins found especially in the secretions of mucous membranes.

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mucin·ous adj.

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Mucin

A protein in saliva that combines with sugars in the mouth to form plaque.

Mentioned in: Tooth Decay

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mucin

[myo̅o̅′sin]

Etymology: L, mucus, slime

a mucopolysaccharide, the chief ingredient in mucus. Mucin is present in most glands that secrete mucus and is the lubricant protecting body surfaces from friction or erosion.

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mucin [mu´sin]

a mucopolysaccharide or glycoprotein that is the chief constituent of mucus.

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mucin

(mū´sin),
n a mucopolysaccharide, the chief ingredient of mucus. It is present in most glands that secrete mucus and is the lubricant that protects body surfaces from friction or erosion.

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mucin

a mucopolysaccharide or glycoprotein which is the chief constituent of mucus.

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mucin clot test

the adding of acetic acid to normal synovial fluid, which causes clot formation. The compactness of the clot and the clarity of the supernatant fluid are the criteria on which the result is based.

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mucin

Glycoprotein, rich in carbohydrates, produced by the goblet cells and the subsurface vesicles of the conjunctiva which forms the basis of the mucous layer of the precorneal film. Mucin and the secreted glycocalyx (which consists of glycoproteins) are adsorbed by the epithelium of the cornea to convert it from a hydrophobic into a wettable hydrophilic surface. A deficiency in the production of mucin leads to an abnormally short precorneal film break-up time and to desiccation of the ocular surface. In addition, the mucous layer prevents microbial invasion of the cornea. In some contact lens wearers (especially of silicone hydrogel lenses) collapsed mucin, as well as lipids and tear proteins, accumulate behind the lens and form small, discrete spheres (called mucin balls or mucin plugs). These mucin balls cause neither discomfort nor loss of vision. See precorneal film; keratoconjunctivitis sicca; break-up time test; xerophthalmia.