lysozyme

noun

ly·​so·​zyme ˈlī-sə-ˌzīm How to pronounce lysozyme (audio)
: a basic bacteriolytic protein that hydrolyzes peptidoglycan and is present in egg white and in human tears and saliva

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The same is true of natural antimicrobial compounds in milk, including lactoferrin, lysozyme, and lactoperoxidase, which simply do not exist in raw or pasteurized milk in sufficient concentrations to have much effect on the quality of the end product. — Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 20 Dec. 2024 There, in 1965, David Phillips, one of the pioneers of protein crystallography, first determined the structure of an enzyme: lysozyme, which the immune system uses to attack bacteria. — Quanta Magazine, 26 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1922, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lysozyme was in 1922

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“Lysozyme.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lysozyme. Accessed 16 Mar. 2025.

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Medical Definition

lysozyme

noun
ly·​so·​zyme ˈlī-sə-ˌzīm How to pronounce lysozyme (audio)
: a basic bacteriolytic protein that hydrolyzes peptidoglycan and is present in egg white and in saliva and tears

called also muramidase

More from Merriam-Webster on lysozyme

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lysozyme

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