lysozyme

[ lahy-suh-zahym ]

noun

, Biochemistry.

1. an enzyme that is destructive of bacteria and functions as an antiseptic, found in tears, leukocytes, mucus, egg albumin, and certain plants.

lysozyme

/ ˈlaɪsəˌzaɪm /

noun

1. an enzyme occurring in tears, certain body tissues, and egg white: destroys bacteria by hydrolysing polysaccharides in their cell walls

Word History and Origins

Origin of lysozyme¹

First recorded in 1920–25; lyso- + (en)zyme

Word History and Origins

Origin of lysozyme¹

C20: from lyso- + ( en ) zyme

Example Sentences

The lysozyme story began one day in late 1921 when Fleming, who had a cold, made the impromptu decision to culture a sample of his mucus.

From Scientific American

The goats were engineered to produce milk that contained lysozyme, an enzyme with antibiotic properties.

From Nature

One invasive fungus in termite colonies in the US and Japan pretends to be a termite egg, going so far as to secrete the chemical lysozyme, which the termites use to recognise their eggs.

From The Guardian

It was, perhaps, a rare impulse among scientists that had also enabled Fleming’s earlier discovery of lysozyme, an antibacterial enzyme present in mucus and tears.

From Time

An egg white is made of water containing a variety of proteins, including lysozyme, which plays a part in the immune system.

From Scientific American