fibrinolysin
|fi-bri-no-ly-sin|
🇺🇸
/ˌfaɪbrɪˈnɑːləsɪn/
🇬🇧
/ˌfaɪbrɪˈnɒləsɪn/
dissolves fibrin
Etymology
'fibrinolysin' originates from New Latin/Greek composition: from 'fibrin' (from Latin 'fibra' meaning 'fiber') and Greek 'lysis' (meaning 'loosening' or 'dissolution'), combined to denote a substance that dissolves fibrin.
'fibrinolysin' was coined in modern scientific usage by combining the element 'fibrin' with the suffix derived from Greek 'lysis' (dissolution). It entered English scientific vocabulary in the late 19th to early 20th century to name agents that dissolve fibrin and was later associated specifically with the enzyme plasmin.
Initially it referred broadly to extracts or agents that dissolved fibrin; over time the term came to be associated more specifically with fibrinolytic enzymes (notably plasmin) and with identified biochemical activity.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
an enzyme or enzyme preparation that dissolves fibrin, the protein component of blood clots (a fibrinolytic agent).
Fibrinolysin helps break down the fibrin meshwork that stabilizes a blood clot.
Synonyms
Noun 2
historically, a therapeutic preparation (often a crude extract) used to promote clot dissolution; later identified in many contexts with the specific protease plasmin or fibrinolytic activity.
In early 20th-century reports, fibrinolysin preparations were used experimentally to treat certain thrombotic conditions.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/28 23:00