Deaminate

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Strips the amino group from a molecule, typically an amino acid or nucleotide, through a chemical or enzymatic reaction
2. Removes the nitrogen-containing amine group from an organic compound, converting it into a different substance
3. Eliminates an amino group from a biological molecule, a process common in the breakdown of proteins and nucleic acids

Etymology: Deaminate is a chemistry term built in layers. Its core is "amine," a compound family coined in the 19th century from "ammonia," which itself takes its name from Ammon, the Egyptian god. Ancient Egyptian priests at the shrine of Amun were said to have produced salts that became known as sal ammoniacus, and the Latin adjective "ammoniacus" gave English "ammonia," the gas those salts yielded. Chemists then extended the naming system. "Amine" joined the suffix "-ate" to form "aminate," meaning to introduce an amino group into a molecule. "De-" is the Latin prefix meaning "away from" or "removing," so "deaminate" describes the opposite process: removing an amino group, usually by splitting off its nitrogen as ammonia. The word is therefore a modern coinage, built from pieces that are ancient in themselves, rather than an inherited English term. Its meaning is precise and technical, and it is used in biochemistry, where cells deaminate amino acids as part of breaking down protein.

Antonyms: aminate