pepsin
/ˈpɛpsɪn/ noun
Forms pepsins
- noun (biochemistry) A digestive enzyme that chemically digests, or breaks down, proteins into shorter chains of amino acids.
Etymology
From German Pepsin, corresponding to Ancient Greek πέψις (pépsis, “digestion”) + -in.
Webster’s 1913
- noun An unorganized proteolytic ferment or enzyme contained in the secretory glands of the stomach. In the gastric juice it is united with dilute hydrochloric acid (0.2 per cent, approximately) and the two together constitute the active portion of the digestive fluid. It is the active agent in the gastric juice of all animals.
Etymology [Gr. pepsine. Cf. Dyspepsia.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “pepsin”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details