zymogen

[zahy-muh-juhn, -jen]

noun

Biochemistry.

1. any of various enzyme precursor molecules that may change into an enzyme as a result of catalytic change.

zymogen

/ ˈzaɪməʊˌdʒɛn /

noun

1. biochem any of a group of compounds that are inactive precursors of enzymes and are activated by a kinase

Word History and Origins

Origin of zymogen¹

< German (1875); zymo-, -gen

Example Sentences

At Jessup, Woods had begun reading Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Encyclopedia, a four-pound tome that starts with an entry on the German city of Aachen and ends with zymogen, a protein precursor to enzymes.

Read more on The New Yorker

When in this stage, the compound is known as "proenzyme," or "zymogen."

Read more on Project Gutenberg