enzyme

The word “enzyme” means a protein produced by living cells that speeds up a specific chemical reaction in the body without being used up itself. In plain terms, a biological molecule, usually a protein, that speeds up chemical reactions in living things.

“Enzyme” is pronounced EHN-zym (/ˈɛn.zaɪm/ in IPA).

Here is “enzyme” used in a sentence: “Enzymes in saliva start breaking down starch as soon as you begin chewing.”

“Enzyme” is a noun.

The word “enzyme” dates back to around 1878 and comes from German. Coined in 1878 by German physiologist Wilhelm Kuhne from Greek en- ("in") plus zyme ("leaven, yeast").

“Enzyme” is a fairly common word in modern English.

An enzyme is a protein produced by living cells that speeds up a specific chemical reaction without being consumed or permanently changed in the process. Each enzyme typically acts on a particular substance or type of reaction, making processes like digestion and metabolism happen far faster than they otherwise would.

A catalyst is any substance that speeds up a chemical reaction without being used up, and an enzyme is a specific biological type of catalyst made of protein. All enzymes are catalysts, but not all catalysts are enzymes; many industrial catalysts are inorganic and unrelated to living cells.

Digestive enzymes speed up the breakdown of food into smaller molecules the body can absorb, such as breaking proteins into amino acids or starches into sugars. Without enzymes, these chemical reactions would occur too slowly to sustain normal digestion.