menaquinone

See also: ménaquinone

English

Chemical structure of menaquinone

Etymology

From me(thyl) ‎ na(phtho)quinone.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌmɛn.əˈkwɪn.əʊn/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌmɛn.əˈkwɪˌnoʊn/

Noun

menaquinone (plural menaquinones)

1. (biochemistry, pharmacology) A pale yellow crystalline naphthoquinone C₄₁H₅₆O₂ that is obtained especially from putrefied fish meal and produced by bacteria in the large intestine and essential for the blood-clotting process. It is much more unsaturated than vitamin K₁ and slightly less active biologically, and is an isoprenoid derivative of menadione.

Synonyms

• vitamin K₂

Hyponyms

• menatetrenone

Related terms

• naphthoquinone
• vitamin K

References

• “menaquinone”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “menaquinone”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.