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cyclooxygenase

noun cy·clo·ox·y·gen·ase \ ˌsī-klō-ˈäk-si-jə-ˌnās \

Definition of cyclooxygenase

: an enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of arachidonic acid to prostaglandins and that has two isoforms of which one is involved in the creation of prostaglandins which mediate inflammation and pain

Origin and Etymology of cyclooxygenase

cycl- + oxygenase, an enzyme, from oxygen + -ase

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1974

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

Medical Dictionary

cyclooxygenase

noun cy·clo·ox·y·gen·ase \ ˌsī-klō-ˈäk-si-jə-ˌnās , -äk-ˈsij-ə- , -ˌnāz \

medical Definition of cyclooxygenase

: an enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of arachidonic acid to prostaglandins, that is inactivated by aspirin and other NSAIDs, and that has two isoforms of which one is involved in the cascade of events producing the pain and inflammation of arthritis and the other is not — see cox-1, cox-2

Learn More about cyclooxygenase

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cyclooxygenase

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