carbonic anhydrase

American

[an-hahy-drays, -drayz] / ænˈhaɪ dreɪs, -dreɪz /

noun

Biochemistry.

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

carbonic anhydrase British

noun

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

"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

Etymology

Origin of carbonic anhydrase

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

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.

See Examples For:

carbonic anhydrase

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.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 2, 2025

Hydrogen ions and bicarbonate ions join to form carbonic acid, which is converted into carbon dioxide and water by carbonic anhydrase.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

A decrease of blood bicarbonate can result from the inhibition of carbonic anhydrase by certain diuretics or from excessive bicarbonate loss due to diarrhea.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

For this conversion, carbon dioxide is combined with water with the aid of an enzyme called carbonic anhydrase.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

In red blood cells, carbonic anhydrase forces the dissociation of the acid, rendering the blood less acidic.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

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