lectin

noun Biochemistry.

1. any of a group of proteins that bind to particular carbohydrates in the manner of an antibody and are commonly extracted from plants for use as an agglutinin, as in clumping red blood cells for blood typing.

noun

1. a type of protein possessing high affinity for a specific sugar; lectins are often highly toxic

n.

1. Any of several plant glycoproteins that bind to specific carbohydrate groups on the cell membranes, used in the laboratory to stimulate proliferation of lymphocytes and to agglutinate red blood cells.