xanthopterin meaning

or (rare) xanthopˈterine /-in/ noun
  A yellow pigment obtainable from the wings of yellow butterflies and the urine of mammals

[Medicine]
2-Amino-1,5-dihydro-4,6-pteridinedione. Pigment first discovered in butterfly wings and widely distributed in plants and animals. n : a yellow crystalline amphoteric pigment C₆H₅N₅O₂ that occurs esp. in the wings of yellow butterflies and also in the urine of mammals and that is convertible into folic acid by the action of various microorganisms

Examples

1. The Oriental hornet uses xanthopterin as a light-harvesting molecule to transform light into electrical energy, which explains why the insects are more active when light intensity is greater.
2. A 2010 study by researchers at Tel Aviv University discovered that the Oriental hornet ( " Vespa orientalis " ) converts sunlight into electric power using a pigment called xanthopterin.
3. The bright yellow eyes of the great horned owl are thought to be due to the presence of the pteridine pigment xanthopterin within certain chromatophores ( called xanthophores ) located in the iris stroma.