Definition

A type of enzyme that helps change glutamine into glutamic acid and ammonia, which are important substances in the body.

Example

Glutaminase plays a crucial role in the metabolism of amino acids.

Conversation

Have you heard about the role of glutaminase in the body?

Yeah, I read that it helps convert glutamine into glutamic acid.

Exactly! It's interesting how enzymes like glutaminase affect our metabolism.

For sure, enzymes play such a crucial part in so many processes!

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Glutaminase is formed from "glutamine" (from Latin *glutaminum*, meaning a type of amino acid) and "-ase" (a suffix used in biochemistry to denote enzymes). The word refers to an enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of glutamine into glutamate.

Memory Tip

Think of 'glutamine' as the amino acid being transformed by the enzyme, and remember that 'glutaminase' is the enzyme that helps in this conversion.

Visually Confused Words