TRYPSIN Meaning and
Definition
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Trypsin is a proteolytic enzyme found in the digestive system of many animals, including humans. It belongs to the serine protease family and is produced in the pancreas as an inactive form called trypsinogen. Trypsinogen is then activated to its active form, trypsin, by the enzyme enterokinase.
As a digestive enzyme, trypsin plays a critical role in the breakdown of proteins into smaller peptide fragments during the process of digestion. It specifically cleaves peptide bonds at the carboxyl side of basic amino acids, such as lysine and arginine. By doing so, trypsin facilitates the digestion and absorption of proteins in the small intestine.
Outside the digestive system, trypsin has numerous applications in various fields, including medicine, research, and biotechnology. In medicine, it is utilized in wound healing and burn treatments, as it helps remove dead tissue and promote tissue regeneration. In research, trypsin is used to dissociate cells from tissues for culturing purposes, facilitating the study of cellular processes. It is also employed in biotechnology to modify or cleave proteins in various applications, such as recombinant DNA technology.
In summary, trypsin is an enzyme produced in the pancreas that aids in the digestion of proteins by breaking them down into smaller peptides. It also has numerous applications in medicine, research, and biotechnology due to its proteolytic properties.
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The proteinsplitting ferment of the pancreas, it differs from pepsin in that it acts better in a slightly alkaline medium such as it finds in the intestine. It is used in medicine in cases of intestinal indigestion in doses of gr. 8-15 (0.5-1.0) in keratin coated pills or capsules; it is also used to peptonize milk, and as a solvent of diphtheritic membrane, and has been given by hypodermic injection in connection with amylopsin in the treatment of cancer.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
Common Misspellings for TRYPSIN
Etymology of TRYPSIN
The word "trypsin" has its etymology rooted in Greek. It is derived from the Greek words "trypsis" (τρύψις) meaning "rubbing" or "grinding" and "-in" (-ίνη) which is a suffix denoting an enzyme. Hence, "trypsin" refers to an enzyme that performs a proteolytic action by breaking down proteins through the process of hydrolysis.
Similar spelling words for TRYPSIN
- troops,
- troopship,
- triops,
- traipse,
- trophic,
- tropical,
- tropism,
- tropic,
- trappist,
- tripos,
- tropics.
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