ptyalin

American

[tahy-uh-lin] / ˈtaɪ ə lɪn /

noun

Biochemistry.

an enzyme in the saliva that converts starch into dextrin and maltose.

ptyalin British

/ ˈtaɪəlɪn /

noun

biochem an amylase secreted in the saliva of man and other animals

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

ptyalin Scientific

/ tī′ə-lĭn /

An enzyme found in the saliva of humans and herbivorous animals that helps in the predigestion of starches. Ptyalin is a type of amylase.

Etymology

Origin of ptyalin

1835–45; < Greek ptýal ( on ) spittle, saliva + -in ²

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Ptyalin, -e, tī′a-lin, n. the nitrogenous essential principle of saliva.—v.i.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R) by Various

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023