reductase
UK[rɪˈdʌkteɪz]US[rɪˈdʌkteɪs]
n
an enzyme that catalyzes a chemical reduction reaction.
Morpheme Breakdown
reduct
ase
reduct
reduce
ase
enzyme
Etymology
the term "reductase" is a modern scientific compound, built from classical components to describe a specific biochemical function. the core element "reduct" derives from the latin verb 'reducere', meaning 'to lead or bring back', which in chemical terminology came to signify the gain of electrons or hydrogen, the opposite of oxidation. the suffix "-ase" was established in the late 19th century as the standard denotation for enzymes, modeled on words like "diastase". thus, "reductase" literally translates to "reducing enzyme", logically and precisely naming an agent that facilitates reduction reactions within living cells.
Analysis
Structure: reduct (reduce) + ase (enzyme)
reduct is from latin 'reductus', the past participle of 'reducere' meaning 'to bring back, to reduce'. ase is a suffix of modern latin origin, used to form names of enzymes.
Examples
the enzyme nitrate reductase is crucial for converting nitrate to nitrite in plants.
a deficiency in this reductase can disrupt the metabolic pathway.
researchers identified a novel bacterial reductase capable of degrading the toxin.