Definition

A type of enzyme that helps blood or other liquids to clot or thicken.

Example

The doctor tested the patient's blood for the presence of coagulase to determine the risk of excessive bleeding.

Conversation

Have you heard about the enzyme called coagulase?

Yeah, I think it helps with blood clotting, right?

Exactly! It's really important in the healing process.

That makes sense; I guess without it, we'd bleed a lot more.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Coagulase is formed from "coagula" (from Latin, meaning to curdle or clot) and the suffix "-ase" (used in biochemistry to denote an enzyme). The word refers to an enzyme that causes coagulation or clotting of blood.

Memory Tip

Think of 'curdling' ('coagula') as the process that this enzyme ('-ase') helps to achieve — that's why coagulase is related to blood clotting.

Visually Confused Words