Deiodinase

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An enzyme that catalyzes the removal of iodine atoms from organic compounds, particularly thyroid hormones
2. A biological catalyst responsible for cleaving iodine atoms from certain molecules to regulate hormone activity
3. A protein that facilitates the detachment of iodine elements from chemical structures within the body

Etymology: "Deiodinase" is a technical coinage built from two parts. The first, "de-", is a prefix from Latin meaning "away" or "down," used in chemistry to mark removal, as in "dehydrate" or "decarboxylate." The second part is "iodinase," which combines "iodine," the element first isolated in 1811 from seaweed ash, with the suffix "-ase," the standard ending for enzymes. Put together, the name describes an enzyme that takes iodine away from a molecule. The word is a modern scientific term rather than an old one. It was formed by researchers who needed a precise name for the enzymes that remove iodine from thyroid hormones, a process that was being studied in the twentieth century. Its meaning is therefore literal: the name tells you exactly what the protein does, with no metaphorical shift along the way.

Synonyms: iodine-removing enzyme, iodothyronine deiodinase, thyroid enzyme, dehalogenase, deiodinase enzyme