chymosin

1 9.9

A substance in the stomachs of young mammals that makes milk turn into curds for making cheese

noun
/ˈkaɪməˌsɪn/

Specialized

: quimosina

In young mammals, chymosin plays a vital role in digesting milk by causing it to curdle.
chymosin, an enzyme

Another example of a recombinant protein is the the protein chymosin.

Examples

For example, the transfer of a gene from the stomach cells of calves to bacteria has allowed the large-scale production by fermentation of chymosin, an enzyme essential in cheese making (Wrage 1994).

Academic text (1995)
Chymosin is the key enzyme that helps chymosin coagulate during cheese production.
Cheesemakers often use chymosin to ensure that the milk sets properly for various cheese types.

Synonyms

rennin

vschymosin

Specialized

1 9.3

A substance in baby mammals' stomachs that makes milk become solid to make cheese

has identical meaning but differs only by hyphenation in cheese making

Surface Forms

chymosin singular

chymosins plural

Morphology

chymosin = chyme (opaque) = chymo + in

The combining form 'chymo-' is a technical Greek-derived element not known to average learners and the suffix '-in' only indicates a protein; the specific meaning 'milk-coagulating enzyme' cannot be derived by a typical B1 learner.

Etymology

Chymosin comes from an old Greek word chymo- meaning 'juice' and the enzyme ending -in, like in pepsin. So chymosin is literally a stomach 'juice' enzyme that makes milk curdle, which is why it is used in cheese making.