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cellulase

cellulase

1 7.0
An enzyme that breaks plant fibers into simple sugars
  • noun
  • /ˈsɛljʊleɪs/
  • Specialized
: celulasa
  • In agriculture, cellulase is used to improve the bioavailability of nutrients in animal feed.
  • cellulase and other enzymes

Examples

  • The process of converting plant biomass into ethanol involves the action of cellulase to degrade cellulose.

  • And then you can move forward and look at things like it's not just the cellulase bit, right?

  • Additives also often include added enzymes such as proteases, amylases, lipases, and cellulase (Scow).

    Academic text (2008)
  • In response to the hormone ethylene, these cells churn out cellulase and other enzymes that biochemically snip off flowers, leaves, fruit, stems, or seeds.

    Academic text (1996)
  • Goynes and Blanchard explored whether enzymes such as cellulase can modify undeveloped fibers to improve fabric dyeability.

    Academic text (1997)
  • First, they quickly hydrolyzed the fiber with hot, mild acid; then they quickly cooled it and added a mixture of cellulase and amyloglucosidase enzymes before further hydrolysis.

    Academic text (1996)
  • PHOTO (COLOR): In response to the hormone ethylene, plant cells churn out cellulase and other enzymes that biochemically snip off flowers, leaves, fruit, stems, or seeds.

    Academic text (1996)
  • Cellulase is an enzyme that helps break down cellulose into simple sugars during digestion.

Synonyms

glucosidase
vscellulase
  • Specialized
1 8.9

A protein that breaks down complex sugars into simple sugars for digestion

is limited to one specific structural polysaccharide rather than many complex sugars

Surface Forms

cellulase singular
cellulases plural

Morphology

cellulase = cellulose (semi-transparent) = cellul + ase

The connection to 'cellulose' is clear, but the specialized scientific suffix '-ase' and the form adjustment make the meaning not fully obvious to a typical learner.

Etymology

Cellulase comes from cellulose (the strong plant fiber found in cells) plus the ending -ase, which means 'enzyme'. So, think of cell as a 'small room' full of fiber and remember that cellulase is the 'enzyme' that breaks those plant fibers into simple sugars.