proline
UK[ˈprəʊliːn]US[ˈproʊliːn]
n
An amino acid that is a constituent of most proteins, especially important in the structure of collagen.
Morpheme Breakdown
pro
line
pro
before, forward, in favor of
line
Etymology
The name 'proline' is a scientific coinage derived from a contraction of its parent compound, 'pyrrolidine'. The 'pro-' prefix was chosen not for its common meaning of "before" but as a shortened form of 'pyrrolidine', while '-line' is a conventional chemical suffix. It was first isolated in 1900 by German chemist Richard Willstätter from casein and given the name 'prolin', which was later adapted into English. The word's construction reflects a 20th-century trend in biochemical nomenclature, where names are formed by blending and simplifying the terms of more complex organic structures.
Analysis
Structure: pro + line
pro- (Latin/Greek prefix, meaning "before, forward, in favor of"); line (a shortening of "pyrrolidine", a chemical ring structure)
Examples
Proline is often found in the turns of protein chains.
A diet rich in vitamin C is necessary for the synthesis of proline.
The unique structure of proline affects the folding of collagen.