How Do You Spell TYROSINASE?

Pronunciation: [tˈa͡ɪɹəsˌɪne͡ɪs] (IPA)

Tyrosinase is a word that originates from the enzyme tyrosine, involved in the production of melanin in humans. This word has an interesting spelling because it includes a combination of consonants and vowels that are not commonly seen together. The IPA phonetic transcription for the word is /taɪˈroʊsɪneɪs/. The first syllable "ty" is pronounced with a long "i" sound, followed by "ro" and "si" which are both pronounced with short "o" and "i" sounds respectively. The word ends with "nase" which has a long "a" and "eɪ" sound.

TYROSINASE Meaning and Definition

  1. Tyrosinase is an enzyme that plays a significant role in the production of melanin, the pigment responsible for the coloration of the skin, eyes, and hair. It is a copper-containing enzyme, found in various organisms such as animals, plants, and fungi. Tyrosinase catalyzes the conversion of the amino acid tyrosine into melanin by facilitating two major reactions: hydroxylation and oxidation.

    In the first step, tyrosinase hydroxylates tyrosine, adding a hydroxyl group (OH-) to its structure, resulting in the formation of another amino acid called DOPA (dihydroxyphenylalanine). Subsequently, tyrosinase oxidizes DOPA, leading to the formation of dopaquinone, a key intermediate in the melanin synthesis pathway. The reactions facilitated by tyrosinase are critical for the regulation of pigmentation, determining the intensity of color in tissues and organs throughout the body.

    Beyond its involvement in melanin synthesis, tyrosinase has been extensively studied due to its potential applications in various fields. In medicine, tyrosinase inhibitors can be utilized in the treatment of hyperpigmentation disorders like melasma and vitiligo. In addition, the enzyme plays an important role in the browning reaction of fruit and vegetables when they are exposed to oxygen, contributing to their deterioration and spoilage. Understanding the mechanisms of tyrosinase activity and regulation is therefore of great interest to scientists in fields such as biology, biochemistry, medicine, and food science.

  2. A ferment acting upon tyrosin.

    A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.

Common Misspellings for TYROSINASE

  • ryrosinase
  • fyrosinase
  • gyrosinase
  • yyrosinase
  • 6yrosinase
  • 5yrosinase
  • ttrosinase
  • tgrosinase
  • throsinase
  • turosinase
  • t7rosinase
  • t6rosinase
  • tyeosinase
  • tydosinase
  • tyfosinase
  • tytosinase
  • ty5osinase
  • ty4osinase
  • tyrisinase
  • tyrksinase

Etymology of TYROSINASE

The word "Tyrosinase" has its origins in Greek and Latin.

The root of the word, "tyrosine", comes from the Greek word τυρός (tyros), meaning "cheese". This is because the amino acid tyrosine was first discovered in a cheese product around 1846.

The suffix "-ase" is derived from the Latin word "āsis", which denotes an enzyme or a substance that has enzymatic properties. This suffix is commonly used in biochemistry to name enzymes.

Therefore, "Tyrosinase" is a compound word combining "tyrosine" with the suffix "-ase", suggesting that it is an enzyme related to tyrosine metabolism. Tyrosinase is an important enzyme involved in the synthesis of melanin, the pigment responsible for hair, skin, and eye color in humans and animals.

Similar spelling words for TYROSINASE

Plural form of TYROSINASE is TYROSINASES