trypsin

American  

[trip-sin] / ˈtrɪp sɪn /

noun

Biochemistry.

1. a proteolytic enzyme of the pancreatic juice, capable of converting proteins into peptone.

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trypsin British  

/ ˈtrɪpsɪn, ˈtrɪptɪk /

noun

1. an enzyme occurring in pancreatic juice: it catalyses the hydrolysis of proteins to peptides and is secreted from the pancreas in the form of trypsinogen See also chymotrypsin

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trypsin Scientific  

/ trĭp′sĭn /

1. An enzyme that aids digestion by breaking down proteins. It is produced by the pancreas and secreted into the small intestine, where it catalyzes the cleavage of peptide bonds connecting arginine or lysine to other amino acids.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• tryptic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of trypsin

1875–80; irregular < Greek trîps ( is ) friction ( trī́b ( ein ) to rub + -sis -sis ) + -in ²; so called because first obtained by rubbing the pancreas

Compare meaning

How does trypsin compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• chymotrypsin vs. trypsin

Example Sentences

The protein simulated in this case is called trypsin, a heavyweight in the world of biology.

From Barron's • May 5, 2026

The motor uses the digestive enzyme trypsin to cut the peptides and convert them into the energy it needs to propel itself.

From Science Daily • Feb. 26, 2024

Another, which Whitcomb's group identified over a decade ago, is caused when a digestive enzyme, trypsin, is activated at the wrong time and digests the pancreas from within.

From Scientific American • Jul. 21, 2014

After digestion of wild-type TcdB2–TccC3 overnight with 2mM trypsin solution, peptides of the protein were evaporated and dissolved in 0.1% formic acid before HPLC-MS separation.

From Nature • Apr. 4, 2014

So far will this resemblance go that a secondary cancer of the pancreas found in the lung will yield on analysis large amounts of trypsin, the digestive ferment of the pancreas.

From Preventable Diseases by Hutchinson, Woods