Lipofuscin
Lipofuscin
Lipofuscin (pronounced: li-po-fus-kin) is a type of lipochrome, a yellow-brown pigment found in the lysosomes of postmitotic cells, such as neurons and heart muscle cells.
Etymology
The term "Lipofuscin" is derived from the Greek words "lipos" meaning fat and "fuscus" meaning dark. It was first described in 1912 by the German pathologist Maximow.
Definition
Lipofuscin is a waste product that accumulates in various types of cells and tissues over time, and is often referred to as an "aging pigment". It is composed of lipids and proteins, and is a byproduct of the wear and tear of cellular components, particularly in the mitochondria and lysosomes.
Related Terms
- Lipochrome: A group of pigments found in animal tissues, of which lipofuscin is a member.
- Lysosome: A cell organelle that contains digestive enzymes and is the primary site of lipofuscin accumulation.
- Mitochondria: The organelle responsible for energy production in cells, and a major source of the waste products that form lipofuscin.
- Maximow: The pathologist who first described lipofuscin.
- Postmitotic cells: Cells that have exited the cell cycle and no longer divide, such as neurons and heart muscle cells. These cells tend to accumulate lipofuscin over time.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Lipofuscin
- Wikipedia's article - Lipofuscin
This WikiMD article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski