glutamate
UK[ˈɡluːtəmeɪt]US[ˈɡluːtəmeɪt]
n
A salt or ester of glutamic acid, especially one that functions as a neurotransmitter in the central nervous system.
Morpheme Breakdown
glutam
ate
glutam
glutamic acid
ate
salt/ester suffix
Etymology
The word 'glutamate' is a modern scientific compound, built upon the earlier term 'glutamic acid.' The core element 'glutam-' traces back to the Latin 'gluten,' meaning 'glue,' reflecting the sticky properties of wheat protein from which glutamic acid was first isolated. The chemical suffix '-ate,' indicating a salt or ester, comes from Latin via French, a common ending in chemical nomenclature. Thus, the term's literal construction follows a clear scientific logic: it names the compound derived from 'glue-like' glutamic acid.
Analysis
Structure: glutam (glutamic acid) + ate (salt/ester suffix)
- glutam: A morpheme derived from "glutamic," itself from "gluten" (Latin for 'glue') + the chemical suffix "-ic." It refers to glutamic acid.
- ate: A suffix of Latin origin (via French -at, from Latin -atus) used in chemistry to denote a salt or ester of an acid.
Examples
Monosodium glutamate is a common flavor enhancer in processed foods.
Glutamate is the primary excitatory neurotransmitter in the mammalian brain.
The receptor is specifically activated by the binding of glutamate.