pantothenic acid: Meaning and Definition of

pan'to•then'ic ac'id

Pronunciation: (pan'tu-then'ik, pan"-), [key]
— Biochem. Biochem.
  1. a hydroxy acid, CHON, found in plant and animal tissues, rice, bran, etc., that is part of the B complex of vitamins and is essential for cell growth.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.