Aminohydrolases

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Enzymes that break down molecules by adding water to split off an amino group from a compound
2. Biological catalysts which hydrolytically remove amine groups from amino acids and related substances
3. Proteins that speed up the water-driven cleavage of nitrogen-containing amino groups from organic molecules

Etymology: "Aminohydrolases" is simply the plural of "aminohydrolase," and the word is a technical coinage built from two parts of biochemical nomenclature rather than a term with a folk history behind it. The first element, "amino," comes from "amine," the family of nitrogen-containing compounds (named from ammonia, which was itself linked to the Egyptian god Amun), with the "-o" marking the chemical prefix form. The second element, "hydrolase," combines "hydro-," meaning water, with the "-ase" ending used for enzymes. Put together, the name describes what these enzymes do: they break chemical bonds by adding water, and in the process they remove or transfer an amino group. Because the naming follows systematic chemical conventions, the word reads almost like a recipe, with each part telling you one job the enzyme performs.