cholinesterase
|cho-lin-es-ter-ase|
🇺🇸
/ˌkoʊlɪnˈɛstreɪz/
🇬🇧
/ˌkəʊlɪnˈɛstreɪz/
enzyme that breaks down choline esters
Etymology
'cholinesterase' originates from Modern English, specifically the components 'choline' + 'esterase', where 'choline' ultimately comes from Greek 'chole' meaning 'bile' and 'esterase' is formed from 'ester' + the enzyme suffix '-ase' (denoting an enzyme).
'choline' was coined in the 19th century from Greek 'chole' ('bile') and chemical naming conventions; 'ester' comes from Modern Latin/German chemical usage, and the suffix '-ase' was adopted from names like 'diastase' to form names for enzymes, producing the composite 'cholinesterase' in modern biochemical nomenclature.
Initially the elements referred to 'a bile-related compound' ('choline') and 'an enzyme acting on esters' ('esterase'); combined, the term came to mean specifically 'an enzyme that hydrolyzes choline esters', a meaning that has been stable in biochemical usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
any of several enzymes that hydrolyze choline esters (for example, acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase).
Acetylcholinesterase is a well-known cholinesterase that breaks down acetylcholine at synapses.
Synonyms
Noun 2
often used specifically to refer to acetylcholinesterase, the enzyme that rapidly hydrolyzes the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.
In toxicology, measuring cholinesterase activity helps assess exposure to certain pesticides.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/19 12:57