Definition of enzyme
Nouns
any of several complex proteins that are produced by cells and act as catalysts in specific biochemical reactions
- Types:
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ADA, adenosine deaminase
an enzyme found in mammals that can catalyze the deamination of adenosine into inosine and ammonia
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amylase
any of a group of proteins found in saliva and pancreatic juice and parts of plants; help convert starch to sugar
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ptyalin
an amylase secreted in saliva
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cholinesterase
an enzyme that hydrolyses acetylcholine (into choline and acetic acid)
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coagulase
an enzyme that induces coagulation
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thrombin
an enzyme that acts on fibrinogen in blood causing it to clot
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chymosin, rennin
an enzyme that occurs in gastric juice; causes milk to coagulate
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collagenase
any enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of collagen and gelatin
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complement
one of a series of enzymes in the blood serum that are part of the immune response
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catalase
enzyme found in most plant and animal cells that functions as an oxidative catalyst; decomposes hydrogen peroxide into oxygen and water
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Cox, cyclooxygenase
either of two related enzymes that control the production of prostaglandins and are blocked by aspirin
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Cox-1, cyclooxygenase-1
an enzyme that regulates prostaglandins that are important for the health of the stomach lining and kidneys
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Cox-2, cyclooxygenase-2
an enzyme that makes prostaglandins that cause inflammation and pain and fever
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decarboxylase
any of the enzymes that hydrolize the carboxyl group
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de-iodinase
an enzyme that removes the iodine radical
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disaccharidase
an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of disaccharides into monosaccharides
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invertase, saccharase, sucrase
an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of sucrose into glucose and fructose
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Lactaid, lactase
any of a group of enzymes (trade name Lactaid) that hydrolyze lactose to glucose and galactose
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elastase
a pancreatic enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of elastin
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enterokinase
enzyme in the intestinal juice that converts inactive trypsinogen into active trypsin
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histaminase
enzyme that acts as a catalyst in converting histidine to histamine
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Hyazyme, hyaluronidase, spreading factor
an enzyme (trade name Hyazyme) that splits hyaluronic acid and so lowers its viscosity and increases the permeability of connective tissue and the absorption of fluids
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isomerase
an enzyme that catalyzes its substrate to an isomeric form
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kinase
an enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of a proenzyme to an active enzyme
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lipase
an enzyme secreted in the digestive tract that catalyzes the breakdown of fats into individual fatty acids that can be absorbed into the bloodstream
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lysozyme, muramidase
an enzyme found in saliva and sweat and tears that destroys the cell walls of certain bacteria
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MAO, monoamine oxidase
an enzyme that catalyzes the oxidation of many body compounds (e.g., epinephrine and norepinephrine and serotonin)
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nitrogenase
an enzyme of nitrogen-fixing microorganisms that catalyzes the conversion of nitrogen to ammonia
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nuclease
general term for enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of nucleic acid by cleaving chains of nucleotides into smaller units
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endonuclease
a nuclease that cleaves nucleic acids at interior bonds and so produces fragments of various sizes
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exonuclease
a nuclease that releases one nucleotide at a time (serially) beginning at one of a nucleic acid
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oxidase
any of the enzymes that catalyze biological oxidation
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peroxidase
any of a group of enzymes (occurring especially in plant cells) that catalyze the oxidation of a compound by a peroxide
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oxidoreductase
an enzyme that catalyzes oxidation-reduction
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oxygenase
an oxidoreductase that catalyzes the incorporation of molecular oxygen
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papain
a proteolytic enzyme obtained from the unripe papaya; used as a meat tenderizer
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beta-lactamase, penicillinase
enzyme produced by certain bacteria that inactivates penicillin and results in resistance to that antibiotic
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pepsin
an enzyme produced in the stomach that splits proteins into peptones
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pepsinogen
precursor of pepsin; stored in the stomach walls and converted to pepsin by hydrochloric acid in the stomach
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phosphatase
any of a group of enzymes that act as a catalyst in the hydrolysis of organic phosphates
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fibrinolysin, plasmin
an enzyme that dissolves the fibrin of blood clots
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plasminogen
an inactive form of plasmin that occurs in plasma and is converted to plasmin by organic solvents
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polymerase
an enzyme that catalyzes the formation of new DNA and RNA from an existing strand of DNA or RNA
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DNA polymerase
the enzyme responsible for DNA replication
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RNA polymerase, transcriptase
the enzyme that copies DNA into RNA
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reverse transcriptase
a polymerase that catalyzes the formation of DNA using RNA as a template; found especially in retroviruses
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peptidase, protease, proteinase, proteolytic enzyme
any enzyme that catalyzes the splitting of proteins into smaller peptide fractions and amino acids by a process known as proteolysis
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caspase
any of a group of proteases that mediate apoptosis
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ACE, angiotensin converting enzyme, angiotensin-converting enzyme
proteolytic enzyme that converts angiotensin I into angiotensin II
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plasminogen activator, urokinase
protease produced in the kidney that converts plasminogen to plasmin and so initiates fibrinolysis
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renin
a proteolytic enzyme secreted by the kidneys; catalyzes the formation of angiotensin and thus affects blood pressure
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reductase
an enzyme that catalyses the biochemical reduction of some specified substance
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5-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase, HMG-CoA reductase
a liver enzyme that is responsible for producing cholesterol
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chymosin, rennin
an enzyme that occurs in gastric juice; causes milk to coagulate
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secretase
a set of enzymes believed to snip pieces off a longer protein producing fragments of amyloid protein that bunch up and create amyloid protein plaques in brain tissue (the pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's)
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streptodornase
an enzyme produced by some hemolytic strains of streptococcus that dissolves fibrinous secretions from infections; used medicinally (often in combination with streptokinase)
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streptokinase
an enzyme produced by some strains of streptococcus that can liquefy blood clots by converting plasminogen to plasmin; used medicinally in some cases of myocardial infarction and pulmonary embolism
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SOD, superoxide dismutase
an enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of superoxide into hydrogen peroxide and oxygen
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telomerase
an enzyme in eukaryotic cells that can add telomeres to the ends of chromosomes after they divide
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transferase
any of various enzymes that move a chemical group from one compound to another compound
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RNase, ribonuclease, ribonucleinase
a transferase that catalyzes the hydrolysis of ribonucleic acid
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aminopherase, aminotransferase, transaminase
a class of transferases that catalyze transamination (that transfer an amino group from an amino acid to another compound)
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trypsin
an enzyme of pancreatic origin; catalyzes the hydrolysis of proteins to smaller polypeptide units
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trypsinogen
inactive precursor of trypsin; a substance secreted by the pancreas and converted to active trypsin by enterokinase in the small intestine
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urease
an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of urea into carbon dioxide and ammonia; is present in intestinal bacteria
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zymase
a complex of enzymes that cause glycolysis; originally found in yeast but also present in higher organisms
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accelerator, catalyst
(chemistry) a substance that initiates or accelerates a chemical reaction without itself being affected
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protein
any of a large group of nitrogenous organic compounds that are essential constituents of living cells; consist of polymers of amino acids; essential in the diet of animals for growth and for repair of tissues; can be obtained from meat and eggs and milk and legumes