Meaning & use
dekeratinization
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountabletechnicalmedicalbiology
The process by which keratin is removed or lost from skin, hair, or other tissue.
Grammar: Uncountable; used in technical writing. No plural form.
Patterns
- dekeratinization of something
- cause dekeratinization
The dermatologist explained that dekeratinization of the scalp can lead to hair loss.
In biology class, we studied dekeratinization as part of the skin's renewal cycle.
Excessive dekeratinization may make the skin more sensitive.
Common combinations
- dekeratinization of the skin
- The dekeratinization of the skin can cause dryness and flaking.
- induce dekeratinization
- Certain chemicals can induce dekeratinization in laboratory experiments.
- dekeratinization process
- The dekeratinization process is essential for normal skin shedding.
Synonyms and how they differ
- desquamation
- Desquamation is the shedding of the outer skin layer, which may involve dekeratinization but is a broader term.
Opposites
Word family
- keratin noun
- A tough protein found in skin, hair, and nails.
- keratinization noun
- The process by which cells produce keratin.
- dekeratinize verb
- To remove keratin from something.
Commonly confused: dekeratinization or keratinization?
dekeratinization vs keratinization
Keratinization is the opposite process: the formation of keratin, while dekeratinization is its removal.
Practice
In dermatology, what does dekeratinization refer to?
Choose one answer.
Dekeratinization means the removal or loss of keratin. Option 0 is the opposite (keratinization), option 2 describes keratinization, and option 3 is not the meaning of the term.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “dekeratinization”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.