Main Entry: car·ni·tine

Pronunciation: \ˈkär-nə-ˌtēn\

Function: noun

: a quaternary ammonium compound C₇H₁₅NO₃ that is present especially in vertebrate muscle, is involved in the transfer of fatty acids across mitochondrial membranes, and in humans is obtained from food (as meat or milk) or is synthesized from a lysine derivative