tyrosinemia

9.9

A rare inherited disease where the body cannot break down the amino acid tyrosine, harming liver and kidneys

noun
/ˌtaɪrəˈsɪniːmiə/

Specialized

: tirosinemia

Early diagnosis of tyrosinemia can significantly improve health outcomes for children.

Examples

Children with tyrosinemia may experience developmental delays if not treated promptly.
Families affected by tyrosinemia often seek specialized treatment to manage liver issues.
In several of my columns, I've discussed this evolutionary problem in connection with smallpox and hereditary tyrosinemia, as well as malaria (June 1988, February 1989, February 1990).

Academic text (1991)

Surface Forms

tyrosinemia singular

tyrosinemias plural

Morphology

tyrosinemia = tyrosine (semi-transparent) = tyrosine + emia

Formally built from 'tyrosine' + the combining form '-emia' meaning a blood condition; this is clear to learners familiar with medical terms but not fully transparent to general B1 learners.

Etymology

Tyrosinemia comes from tyrosine, the amino acid named from Greek tyros meaning 'cheese' because it was first found in cheese, and the ending -emia meaning 'blood', the same ending in anemia. So tyrosinemia literally means 'tyrosine in the blood', which explains the illness where tyrosine builds up in the blood and causes liver and kidney problems.