albuminous

Albuminous is an adjective used in biology to indicate that something contains or consists largely of albumin, a family of soluble proteins found in animal tissues and secretions. Albumin, the principal protein in blood plasma, helps maintain osmotic pressure and serves as a carrier for various substances. In physiological or clinical contexts, the term may describe fluids or secretions rich in albumin; for example, “albuminous urine” has historically referred to urine containing detectable levels of albumin (proteinuria), though modern terminology favors proteinuria or albuminuria with quantitative assessment.

In botany, the term is used to describe seeds that retain a persistent endosperm rich in storage proteins—albumins—into maturity. Such seeds are termed albuminous, in contrast to exalbuminous seeds, in which the endosperm is depleted and the seed’s nutrients are stored primarily in the cotyledons. This distinction appears in introductory plant anatomy and physiology and applies to various plant groups where the endosperm remains as a nutrient tissue.

Etymology-wise, albuminous derives from albumen, Latin for a white, protein-containing substance, and from albumin, the protein class itself, with the suffix -ous forming an adjective.

See also: Albumin, Protein, Proteinuria, Exalbuminous, Endosperm.