Lamins

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Proteins forming a dense fibrillar network inside the nucleus of most cells, providing structural support ; sheets or thin layers of material; plural of a term referring to a layer or covering
2. Fibrous proteins creating the nuclear lamina beneath the inner nuclear membrane for mechanical stability ; thin flat layers or coatings of a substance ; plural form describing multiple thin sheets
3. Structural protein components lining the inner membrane of the cell nucleus to maintain shape and regulate DNA processes ; multiple flat, sheet-like layers ; plural referring to laminated layers or surfaces

Etymology: The Latin "lamina" meant a thin plate or layer, such as a sheet of metal or a flake of bark. English adopted it for thin layers of tissue and material, and its plural "laminae" remains in use. The protein name is a later technical coinage built on that root, in the same way that many protein names end in "-in." "Lamins" is the plural of "lamin," a term for the proteins that form the nuclear lamina, a dense mesh lining the inside of a cell's nuclear envelope. The mesh gives the nucleus its shape and mechanical support. Because the proteins sit in a thin sheet beneath the membrane, the name points to that layered arrangement rather than to any older everyday sense of the word.

Synonyms: layers, sheets, plates