phosphorylase

1 8.5

A protein that adds a phosphate to another chemical to help break down stored sugar in cells

noun
/ˌfɑːs.fəˈrɪ.leɪs/

Specialized

: fosforilasa

The phosphorylase enzyme is crucial for energy metabolism.

Examples

The phosphorylase enzyme plays a key role in breaking down glycogen in muscle cells.
Researchers studied how phosphorylase activity changes during exercise.
A deficiency in phosphorylase can lead to problems with energy release in the body.
Researchers study phosphorylases to understand metabolic pathways.
In the metabolic process, phosphorylase helps convert glycogen into glucose by adding phosphate groups.
The enzyme phosphorylase plays a crucial role in breaking down carbohydrates within the cell.
Research showed that increasing the activity of phosphorylase can enhance energy production during exercise.

Synonyms

kinase

vsphosphorylase

Specialized

6 8.4

A protein that adds a phosphate to other proteins or molecules to change their activity

focuses on breaking down complex substances rather than regulating other proteins

phosphokinase

vsphosphorylase

Specialized

1 9.1

An enzyme that adds phosphate to other molecules to help cells use energy

focuses on breaking down complex substances in cells rather than broad metabolism

Surface Forms

phosphorylase singular

phosphorylases plural

Morphology

phosphorylase = phosphorylate (semi-transparent) = phosphoryl + ase

Formed with the enzyme-forming suffix '-ase' on the chemical base 'phosphoryl/ phosphorylate'; the structure is regular but requires domain knowledge of biochemical terminology.

Etymology

Phosphorylase starts with phosphoryl, a part related to phosphorus (a name linked to 'light'), and ends with -ase, which means 'enzyme'. A phosphorylase adds or moves a phosphate group so the cell can break down molecules, so the name tells you it is an enzyme that works with phosphate.