lysozyme
noun
- a basic bacteriolytic protein that hydrolyzes peptidoglycan and is present in egg white and in human tears and saliva
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈlaɪsəzaɪm/
noun
Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *lewh₁-der. Ancient Greek λύω (lúō) Proto-Indo-European *-tis Ancient Greek -τις (-tis) Ancient Greek -σις (-sis) Ancient Greek λῠ́σῐς (lŭ́sĭs)bor. English lyso- English enzyme English lysozyme From lyso- + enzyme.
- A bacteriolytic (or antibiotic) enzyme found in many animal secretions, and in egg white.
“[Alexander Fleming] had in 1923 discovered lysozyme, an antimicrobial enzyme found in saliva, mucus and tears as part of the body’s first line of defence against invading pathogens.”