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Glite Dictionary
🧬 Chemical change in body 🏭 Making products with cells
biotransformation

biotransformation

7.0
A chemical change that living cells make to a substance so the body can remove it
  • noun
  • /ˌbaɪoʊtrænsfərˈmeɪʃən/
  • Specialized
translation icon : biotransformación
  • The liver plays a major role in the biotransformation of many drugs, helping to convert them into less harmful substances.

Examples

  • Moreover, individuals with dental amalgams are exposed to continuous long-term amounts of mercury (in vapour form and in organic form from biotransformation by oral bacteria).

    Academic text (2002)

  • The fluctuations in treatment effects in all the parameters suggest changes in the biotransformation or bioavailability of the drugs across the intervals.

    Academic text (2007)

  • The biotransformation of toxins in the environment is essential for maintaining ecosystem health.

  • Researchers study biotransformation to understand how plants can break down environmental pollutants.

Synonyms

biodegradation
vsbiotransformation
  • Specialized
1 4.6

A process where living things like bacteria break substances into natural parts

modifies chemicals, often partially, to aid their elimination

Surface Forms

biotransformation singular
biotransformations plural

Morphology

biotransformation = transformation (semi-transparent) = bio + transform + ation

The word combines bio- with transformation, but the technical biological sense is only partly predictable for a typical B1 learner.

Etymology

Biotransformation comes from bio- meaning 'life' and transform meaning 'to change', so the word literally means 'life changes'. In biology it refers to living cells, like those in the liver or in bacteria, changing a chemical so the body can remove it or make it less harmful.