aldolase

1 8.8

A protein in cells that helps break down sugar for energy

noun
/ˈældəˌleɪs/

Specialized

: aldolasa

High levels of aldolase in the blood can indicate certain health conditions related to metabolism.

Examples

And so I'll take you quickly through how aldolase works.
The researcher measured the activity of aldolase to understand its role in sugar breakdown.
Now if I run a trans aldolase reaction, I'll move three carbons.
The enzyme aldolase is crucial for breaking down sugars in the body during metabolism.

Surface Forms

aldolase singular

aldolases plural

Morphology

aldolase = aldol (opaque) = aldol + ase

The formation 'aldol' + '-ase' follows the regular enzyme-naming pattern, so the structural process is clear to learners familiar with scientific terms, but 'aldol' itself is a specialized chemical term.

Etymology

Aldolase comes from aldol 'a chemical part found in some sugars' plus the enzyme ending -ase 'enzyme', the same ending you see in lactase. So aldolase is the enzyme that works on that sugar part to split sugars and help cells make energy.