Gorgonin

/ˈɡɔːɡoʊnɪn/ noun

Definition

An organic substance or protein that forms the flexible skeletal material in gorgonian corals.

Etymology

From 'gorgonia' (the coral) + '-in' (a suffix used for chemical compounds and proteins). The '-in' ending is common in biochemistry.

Kelly Says

Gorgonin is what makes sea fans flexible instead of brittle—it's like the coral's version of our tendons, showing that evolution finds similar solutions across very different organisms!

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