Adonin

/ˈædənɪn/ noun

Definition

A chemical substance or glycoside found in plants of the Adonis genus, related to cardiac glycosides used in medicine.

Etymology

Formed from the genus name Adonis with the chemical suffix -in. The term emerged as botanists classified compounds in poisonous plants and recognized their medicinal potential.

Kelly Says

Adonin compounds helped doctors develop heart medications—so plants named after a god who suffered cardiac devastation actually became medicine to help real hearts. There's poetic irony in that chemistry!

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