lipofuscin

[ lip-uh-fuhs-in, lahy-puh- ]

noun

, Biochemistry.

1. any of several brown pigments similar to melanin that accumulate in animal cells with age and are products of oxidation of lipids and lipoproteins.

Word History and Origins

Origin of lipofuscin¹

1920–25; < German, equivalent to lipo- lipo- ¹ + Latin fusc ( us ) dark, tawny + German -in -in ²

Example Sentences

Additionally, dExPath effectively eliminated fluorescent signals in brain tissue called lipofuscin, which makes imaging of subcellular structures in brain tissues very difficult, further enhancing image quality.

From Science Daily

A well-known deposit that results from lysosomal inefficiency is lipofuscin, which is an accepted marker of ageing for postmitotic cells4.

From Nature

They noticed high levels of lipofuscin, an "age pigment," in short-lived foragers and much lower levels in longer-lived bees.

From Science Magazine

The pigment, called lipofuscin, is made from the breakdown products of blood and results in sweat that is usually brown or black, though there have been cases in which it is orange, red or green.

From New York Times