Definition

A type of antibiotic that comes from a specific bacterium and is used in experiments to stop the production of proteins in cells.

Example

Researchers used puromycin to study how cells produce proteins.

Conversation

Have you ever heard of puromycin?

Yeah, I read it's an antibiotic used in research.

Right! It's interesting how it inhibits protein synthesis.

Definitely! I think it's crucial for studying cellular processes.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Puromycin is derived from 'puro-' (from 'purine', a type of nitrogenous base) and '-mycin' (from Greek 'mykes', meaning fungus). The term refers to an antibiotic derived from a species of Streptomyces, which is a type of fungus, and it is related to purine metabolism.

Memory Tip

Think of 'purine' as a building block of DNA and 'mycin' as relating to a fungus — puromycin is an antibiotic that connects these two concepts.

Visually Confused Words