carbonic anhydrase

[an-hahy-dreys, -dreyz]

noun

Biochemistry.

1. an enzyme that catalyzes the reversible combination of carbon dioxide with water in red blood cells.

carbonic anhydrase

noun

1. an enzyme in blood cells that catalyses the decomposition of carbonic acid into carbon dioxide and water, facilitating the transport of carbon dioxide from the tissues to the lungs

Word History and Origins

Origin of carbonic anhydrase¹

First recorded in 1835–45; anhydr- + -ase

Example Sentences

By embedding a helper enzyme, carbonic anhydrase, into a porous titania structure, the researchers enabled the system to work in a simple bicarbonate solution — similar to sparkling water — without unsustainable additives.

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Another was a mutation in a gene responsible for the production of carbonic anhydrase, an enzyme that slows the build up of carbon dioxide in the bloodstream, a phenomenon that is associated with extreme diving.

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For example, CO2 Solutions of Quebec City, Canada, has used a super-tough carbonic anhydrase enzyme, developed by directed evolution, to help capture 10 tonnes of CO2 per day in nothing more than aqueous potassium carbonate.

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The gradual change in pH, from the neutral 7.6 to an acidic 5.7, is set off by an enzyme called carbonic anhydrase.

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Carbonic anhydrase is associated with biomineralization in other organisms and accelerates bicarbonate formation.

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