pepsinogen

American

[pep-sin-uh-juhn, -jen] / pɛpˈsɪn ə dʒən, -ˌdʒɛn /

noun

Biochemistry.

crystals, occurring in the gastric glands, that during digestion are converted into pepsin.

pepsinogen British

/ pɛpˈsɪnədʒən /

noun

the inactive precursor of pepsin produced by the stomach

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of pepsinogen

First recorded in 1875–80; pepsin + -o- + -gen

Example Sentences

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See Examples For:

pepsinogen

In the stomach, pepsinogen mixes with hydrochloric acid to form pepsin, which begins digesting proteins, such as turkey, into smaller chains of amino acids.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022

Pepsin is secreted by the chief cells in the stomach in an inactive form called pepsinogen.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022

Hydrochloric acid helps to convert the inactive pepsinogen to pepsin.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022

This protects the chief cells, because pepsinogen does not have the same enzyme functionality of pepsin.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022

Chief cells—Located primarily in the basal regions of gastric glands are chief cells, which secrete pepsinogen, the inactive proenzyme form of pepsin.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

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