apyrase
|a-py-rase|
/əˈpaɪreɪs/
enzyme that breaks down ATP/ADP
Etymology
'apyrase' is a modern biochemical coinage in English/Neo-Latin formed from elements including the combining form 'a-' and the enzyme suffix '-ase' (the latter derived from the name 'diastase', historically used to form names of enzymes).
'apyrase' was formed in 20th-century biochemical literature to name enzymes that hydrolyze nucleoside phosphates; it combines familiar scientific name elements rather than evolving through older stages of English.
The term was coined specifically for the enzymatic activity it denotes and has retained that technical meaning in biochemical usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
an enzyme that hydrolyzes nucleoside triphosphates and diphosphates (for example ATP and ADP), typically producing AMP and inorganic phosphate; often used to refer to enzymes that remove terminal phosphates from nucleotides.
Apyrase is often used in biochemical assays to remove residual ATP from reaction mixtures.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/18 03:10