Enzyme

Pronunciation
/EN-zime/
Category
Physiology
Singular
Enzyme
Plural
Enzymes

Definition

Proteins that act as catalysts to speed up chemical reactions in living organisms, including insects and arachnids.

Etymology

From Greek 'en' meaning 'in' and 'zyme' meaning 'leavening', referring to the ability of enzymes to catalyze reactions.

Example

Enzymes play a crucial role in the digestion of insects and the venom synthesis in arachnids.

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