An enzyme that catalyzes the breakdown or transformation of aldehydes, helping organisms metabolize these chemical compounds.
From aldehyde + -ase (enzyme suffix from Greek -ase meaning 'enzyme'), coined in the late 19th century when biochemists were discovering and naming the thousands of protein catalysts that make life possible.
Your body uses dozens of these molecular scissors to break down everything from harmful fumes to the natural byproducts of metabolism—they're the cleanup crew of your cells.
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