Meanings
plural actins
- uncountablebiochemistryA globular structural protein that polymerizes in a helical fashion to form an actin filament (or microfilament).
2012, Elaine N. Marieb & Katja Hoehn, Human Anatomy & Physiology, 8th ed., chapter 9 "Muscles and Muscle Tissue", page 281. Actin has kidney-shaped polypeptide subunits, called globular actin or G actin, which bear the active sites to which the myosin heads attach during contraction.
- countablebiochemistryOne of the six isoforms of actin.
Origin
- Ancient Greekἀκτίς“ray”
- Englishactin
From Ancient Greek ἀκτίς (aktís, “ray”), based on the shape of the filament formed, + -in.
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan actina
- actinaa globular structural protein
Chinese Mandarin 肌動蛋白 /肌动蛋白
- 肌動蛋白 /肌动蛋白 (jīdòngdànbái)a globular structural protein
Finnish aktiini
- aktiinia globular structural protein
French actine
- actinea globular structural protein
Greek ακτίνη
- ακτίνη (aktíni)a globular structural protein
Indonesian aktin
- aktina globular structural protein
Italian actina
- actinaa globular structural protein
Polish aktyna
- aktynaa globular structural protein
Portuguese actina
- actinaa globular structural protein
Russian актин
- актин (aktin)a globular structural protein
Spanish actina
- actinaa globular structural protein
Swedish aktin
- aktina globular structural protein
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
actin. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/actin
“actin.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/actin. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “actin,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/actin.
Source: actin on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.