Glycate

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To bond sugar molecules onto a protein or fat through a spontaneous chemical reaction rather than by enzyme action
2. To chemically attach glucose or another sugar to proteins or lipids in a non-enzymatic process that can alter their function
3. Describing the process of combining a sugar with a biomolecule such as collagen or hemoglobin without the help of enzymes

Etymology: Glycate is a modern scientific coinage built from two parts. The first, "glyc-", comes from the Greek "glykys," meaning "sweet," the same root found in "glucose" and "glycerol." The second, "-ate," is the standard chemistry suffix for verbs describing the combining of a substance with another. To glycate a molecule is to attach a sugar to it without an enzyme doing the work. The reaction happens on its own when sugars such as glucose meet proteins or fats, so the term describes a chemical process rather than a biological one. Its noun form, "glycation," follows the same pattern.