biosensor

noun

bio·​sen·​sor ˌbī-(ˌ)ō-ˈsen-ˌsȯr How to pronounce biosensor (audio)
-ˈsen(t)-sər
: a device that monitors and transmits information about a life process
especially : a device consisting of a biological component (such as an enzyme or bacterium) that reacts with a target substance and an electrochemical or optical component that detects the resulting products or by-products and emits a signal

Examples of biosensor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Now, a team in Japan has married a tiny, effective solar cell to a flexible biosensor to create a heartbeat monitor that powers itself. IEEE Spectrum, 4 Oct. 2018 This would make the sensor useful in biosensors to detect diseases, for instance. IEEE Spectrum, 23 Oct. 2023 Getting any kind of biosensor for the coronavirus to a mass market will take money—lots of it. IEEE Spectrum, 29 May 2020 Researchers still need to investigate the bandage's biosensor durability in human patients' chronic wounds. Simon Makin, Scientific American, 28 June 2023 After about five minutes, a biosensor—made of an electrode attached to an immune system protein from a llama—reads the solution. Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 July 2023 The device is equipped with a biosensor that does two things. Alice Park, Time, 13 July 2023 Next, an electric current is passed through the biosensor and causes oxidation of a specific amino acid in the spike protein, the final reaction that verifies the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Alice Park, Time, 13 July 2023 In addition to temperature and pH, the bandage's biosensor monitors levels of ammonium, glucose, lactate and uric acid; together these measurements provide information about inflammation, infection and stage of healing. Simon Makin, Scientific American, 28 June 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'biosensor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1961, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of biosensor was in 1961

Dictionary Entries Near biosensor

Cite this Entry

“Biosensor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/biosensor. Accessed 8 Dec. 2023.

Medical Definition

biosensor

noun
: a device that monitors and transmits information about a life process
especially : a device consisting of a biological component (such as an enzyme or bacterium) that reacts with a target substance and an electrochemical or optical component that detects the resulting products or by-products and emits a signal
New biosensors that can sniff out traces of the explosives RDX and TNT may be used to help clean up old munitions sites. Science News
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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