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glossary

Enzyme

Image of an enzyme adding a hydroxyl group to the phenol ring of Tyrosine. DNA helix is cut in half by enzymes with scissors. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0

A molecule, typically a protein, that causes or catalyzes a chemical change. Usually an enzyme’s name describes a molecule involved in the activity it performs and ends with the suffix -ase. For example, lactase is a well-known enzyme that breaks down lactose, a sugar found in milk. Cas9 is a nuclease, an enzyme that breaks apart the backbone of nucleic acids (RNA or DNA).

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