peroxisome

[ puh-rok-suh-sohm ]

/ pəˈrɒk səˌsoʊm /

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noun Cell Biology.

a cell organelle containing catalase, peroxidase, and other oxidative enzymes and performing essential metabolic functions, as the decomposition of fatty acids and hydrogen peroxide.

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Origin of peroxisome

First recorded in 1965–70; perox(ide) + -some³

OTHER WORDS FROM peroxisome

per·ox·i·so·mal, adjective

Words nearby peroxisome

peroxidate, peroxidation, peroxide, peroxide blonde, peroxidize, peroxisome, peroxy, peroxyacid, peroxyborate, peroxydisulfuric acid, peroxy group

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

British Dictionary definitions for peroxisome

peroxisome

/ (pəˈrɒksɪˌsəʊm) /

noun

a type of organelle present in most eukaryotic cells that carry out oxidative reactions, such as oxidation of alcohol in the liver

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

Scientific definitions for peroxisome

peroxisome

[ pə-rŏk′sĭ-sōm′ ]

A cell organelle containing enzymes that catalyze the production and breakdown of hydrogen peroxide.