cellulolytic

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Can break down plant fibers like wood and leaves using enzymes

adjective
/ˌsɛljuˈlɒlɪtɪk/

Specialized

: celulolítico

The cellulolytic bacteria in the compost pile help decompose plant material into nutrient-rich soil.

Examples

Moreover, the insect GH48 sequences (obtained from metagenomic sequences) were seen to lack cellulolytic activity and had chitinase activity, and this was seen due to the absence of the omega loop.

Blog text (25)
For GH48 sequences in prokaryotes to be cellulolytic, the conserved residues from the prokaryotes can be used as a genomic signature.

Blog text (25)
The cellulolytic organisms play a vital role in breaking down cellulose from dead plants in the ecosystem.
Farmers often use cellulolytic enzymes to enhance the process of converting agricultural waste into compost.

Surface Forms

cellulolytic positive

Morphology

cellulolytic = cellulose (semi-transparent) = cellulo + lytic

Formed from the combining form 'cellulo-' (from 'cellulose') plus the technical suffix '-lytic' meaning 'causing breakdown'; the scientific morphology is predictable but specialized.

Etymology

Cellulolytic comes from cellulose, the strong plant fibre in wood and paper, and the ending -lytic, which comes from a word meaning 'to break down'. So cellulolytic means 'able to break down cellulose', like fungi or bacteria that decompose plant material.