A toxic saponin compound found in digitalis (foxglove) plants that can dissolve cell membranes.
From 'digitalis' + the chemical suffix '-in.' Discovered in the 19th century when chemists isolated active compounds from foxglove; digitonin is structurally a saponin glycoside.
Digitonin is so good at punching holes in cell membranes that scientists use it in labs to carefully extract and study the insides of cells—it's like a microscopic key that unlocks cell doors!
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