active site

noun

|Updated on: 2 May 2018

Definition of active site

: a region on the surface of an enzyme whose shape permits binding only of a specific molecular substrate that then undergoes catalysis

Recent Examples of active site from the Web

The nation’s active sites get an average of 8,700 requests to access their stocks annually, according to Peter Bretting, who oversees the system.

— sena christian, Newsweek, "Breakfast in Post-Apocalypse America: Inside Colorado's Fort Knox of Food," 19 Nov. 2015
Citrus samples are sent from the USDA active site collection in Riverside, California.

— sena christian, Newsweek, "Breakfast in Post-Apocalypse America: Inside Colorado's Fort Knox of Food," 19 Nov. 2015
This method revealed five particular amino acids that comprise the likely active site.

— diana gitig, Ars Technica, "A randomly generated, totally novel enzyme rescues mutant bacteria," 20 Jan. 2018
At these active sites, crop species experts evaluate, grow and distribute germplasm to researchers, professors and breeders worldwide.

— sena christian, Newsweek, "Breakfast in Post-Apocalypse America: Inside Colorado's Fort Knox of Food," 19 Nov. 2015

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'active site.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of active site

1957

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

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Medical Dictionary

active site

noun

medical Definition of active site

: a region especially of a biologically active protein (as an enzyme) where catalytic activity takes place and whose shape permits the binding only of a specific reactant molecule