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 /

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

• tryptic
  adjective

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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

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Compare meaning

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

• chymotrypsin vs. trypsin

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

trypsin

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

Babbit and Battle report an ingenious method of removing a piece of meat occluding the esophagus—the application of trypsin.

From Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine by Walter L. (Walter Lytle) Pyle

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