Meaning & use

peptidase

noun·Advanced

An enzyme that breaks proteins down into smaller peptides or individual amino acids.

See it in a sentence

Peptidases in the small intestine finish breaking dietary proteins down into absorbable amino acids.

Researchers study certain peptidases because they play a role in cancer cell growth.

A note on using this word

Peptidase is often used interchangeably with 'protease', though peptidase technically emphasizes action on peptide bonds specifically.

Words with a similar meaning

protease

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

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