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enolase

enolase

1 8.8
A substance in cells that helps make energy from sugar and rises in blood with some illnesses or injuries
  • noun
  • /ɪˈnoʊleɪs/
  • Specialized
: enolasa
  • The doctor ordered a blood test to measure the levels of enolase as it can indicate tissue damage.
  • neuron-specific enolase
  • specific enolase

Examples

  • Immunohistochemistry has been used in the past to help differentiate this tumor from non-neural derived lesions, with vimentin and neuron-specific enolase being positive and cytokeratin being absent.

    Academic text (1996)
  • Immunohistochemistry can demonstrate antibodies to S-100, vimentin, smooth-cell actin, desmin, CD34, and neuron-specific enolase.

    Academic text (2009)
  • The first one that we'll talk about is this enolase reaction, which is simply a dehydration.

  • In some patients, elevated enolase levels can signify a specific type of cancer.

  • Research shows that measuring enolase can help in diagnosing neurological disorders.

Surface Forms

enolase singular
enolases plural

Morphology

enolase = enol (opaque) = enol + ase

Formed from the technical combining form 'enol-' plus the enzyme-forming suffix '-ase', which requires specialized chemistry knowledge and is not predictable for an average B1 learner.

Etymology

The word enolase comes from the chemical part enol and the common enzyme ending -ase, the same ending you see in lactase, and -ase means 'enzyme'. So enolase is the enzyme that works on molecules with an 'enol' part and helps cells make energy.