livin
Livin (noun) means a protein in the body that blocks cells from undergoing programmed cell death (apoptosis), and which is often found at abnormally high levels in tumours. Example: “Researchers found that blocking livin made cancer cells far more sensitive to chemotherapy.”
How to use livin
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA specialist biology and medical term for a cell-survival protein studied mainly in cancer research.
Technical/scientific term — you won't encounter it outside biology, medicine, or biochemistry contexts.
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Researchers found that blocking _____ made cancer cells far more sensitive to chemotherapy.
Etymology
Formed from "live" plus the biochemical suffix "-in" (used for naming proteins), reflecting its role in keeping cells alive.