enzyme
noun
en·zyme
| \ ˈen-ˌzīm
\
\
Definition of enzyme
: any of numerous complex proteins that are produced by living cells and catalyze specific biochemical reactions at body temperatures
Examples of enzyme in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Most cheeses require rennet, an enzyme found in the stomach of cows (and sheep and goats). — Daniel Neman, Twin Cities, "Homemade cheese? No whey!," 31 July 2019 In severe cases, preeclampsia can devolve into HELLP syndrome, which ACOG explains stands for hemolysis (damage to red blood cells), elevated liver enzymes (a sign of liver damage), and low platelet count (cells that help your blood clot). — Patia Braithwaite, SELF, "11 Health Conditions You Should Know About If You’re Black and Pregnant," 30 July 2019 During some of the heated sessions, medical doctors and anti-aging researchers argued loudly across the conference room about biomarkers, enzymes, telomerase endings of genes, and how far mitochondria might be manipulated. — Zoltan Istvan, Quartz, "Rich people shouldn’t be the only ones who get to live forever," 29 July 2019 Blocking this enzyme, called LPCAT1, inhibited tumor growth in mice given transplants of a human brain tumor, the study found. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Biotech notebook: Cancer discovery, bacterial syringes and organoids," 13 July 2019 More than 90% of China’s population is deficient in lactase, the enzyme that breaks down the milk sugar lactose in the gut, per a 1984 study. — Eamon Barrett, Fortune, "How Oatly Plans to Quench China’s Thirst for Milk," 23 July 2019 The enzyme makes bacteria resistant to several antibiotics and is capable of moving across species by horizontal gene transfer. — Ranjit Devraj, Quartz India, "Superbugs have returned to haunt India’s hospitals," 23 July 2019 Consuming meat further accelerates atherosclerosis and hastens heart attacks in you, but not in your dog, which has the enzyme to make Neu5Gc. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Heart disease is the price of becoming human, UCSD study finds," 22 July 2019 June 12, 201700:59 Lactose is a naturally occurring sugar in milk that can cause digestive issues like gas and bloating for people who lack the enzyme (lactase) to digest it. — NBC News, "Dr. Fernstrom: What's the best milk alternative for YOUR lifestyle?," 17 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'enzyme.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for enzyme
enzyme
noun
English Language Learners Definition of enzyme
technical
: a chemical substance in animals and plants that helps to cause natural processes (such as digestion)
See the full definition for enzyme in the English Language Learners Dictionary
enzyme
noun
en·zyme
| \ ˈen-ˌzīm
\
\
Kids Definition of enzyme
: a substance produced by body cells that helps bring about or speed up bodily chemical activities (as the digestion of food) without being destroyed in so doing
enzyme
noun
en·zyme
| \ ˈen-ˌzīm
\
\
Medical Definition of enzyme
: any of numerous complex proteins that are produced by living cells and catalyze specific biochemical reactions at body temperatures
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