Chem. Also -ine. [f. VITELL-US + -IN1.]
1. The albuminoidal substance in the yolk of egg, a mixture of albumin and casein.
1857. Miller, Elem. Chem., Org., 647. These bodies of minor importance, such as globulin and vitellin.
1867. Bloxam, Chem., 614. Yolk of egg contains a modification of albumen termed vitelline.
1886. Buck’s Handbk. Med. Sci., II. 640/1. The yolk … is a bright yellow mixture of about sixteen per cent. of vitellin, a substance resembling albumen.
2. A related substance found in the seeds of plants. Also attrib.
1882. Bentley, Man. Bot. (ed. 4), 35. The proteids exist in these grains as globulins, which hitherto have been known only to occur in animals, that is, as myosin-globulin and vitellin-globulin.
1885. Goodale, Physiol. Bot. (1892), 364. Weyl … holds that legumin is a mixture of vegetable vitellin and casein.
