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glucosidase

glucosidase

1 8.9
A protein that breaks down complex sugars into simple sugars for digestion
  • noun
  • /ɡluːˈkoʊsɪdeɪs/
  • Specialized
: glucosidasa
  • The cells were snap-frozen and stored at -80 degrees C for future confirmation of the activity of the acid β-glucosidase enzyme.
  • β-glucosidase
  • acid glucosidase
  • glucosidase activity

Examples

  • In still another screening, microbiologist Badal C. Saha has identified a yeast that produces a heat-stable beta-glucosidase that works in environments high in glucose.

    Academic text (1996)
  • Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors such as acarbose.

    Academic text (2012)
  • This dose thus appears to be sufficient to restore acid β-glucosidase activity to normal in the glycolipid-laden macrophages.

    Academic text (1996)
  • Infusion of alglucerase at a dose of 5 U/kg body weight normalized acid beta-glucosidase activity of splenic Gaucher's cells in vivo.

    Academic text (1996)
  • Hamaker and his colleagues conducted inhibition studies on starch degradation products and the alpha-glucosidase enzymes in a simulated gastrointestinal tract system.

    Blog text (20)
  • Serial blood samples over 40 minutes after tracer injection were assayed for radioactivity and acid β-glucosidase activity, but scintigraphic scanning was not practicable.

    Academic text (1996)
  • Enzymes like glucosidase help convert complex carbohydrates into simpler sugars that the body can use.

  • The presence of glucosidase in the digestive system is crucial for breaking down starches into sugars.

  • When glucosidase is active, it hydrolyzes glycosidic bonds, assisting in the digestion of carbohydrates.

Surface Forms

glucosidase singular
glucosidases plural

Morphology

glucosidase = glucoside (semi-transparent) = glucoside + ase

Formed by adding the enzyme-forming suffix 'ase' to the technical noun 'glucoside'; the formation is regular but the base is specialized vocabulary.

Etymology

Glucosidase comes from gluco- meaning 'sweet' or 'sugar', the same root as glucose, and the enzyme ending -ase, as in lactase. So glucosidase is an enzyme that 'breaks down' sugar chains into simple sugars, which is exactly what the word means today.