Amylodextrin

/ˌæmɪloʊˈdɛkstrɪn/ noun

Definition

An intermediate product formed during the breakdown of starch into smaller sugar units.

Etymology

From amylo- (starch) plus dextrin (a type of carbohydrate formed by starch breakdown). Dextrin comes from the Latin dexter meaning 'right,' named because it rotates polarized light to the right.

Kelly Says

Amylodextrin is a step on the starch-digestion highway—starch gets broken down into amylodextrin, then into dextrins, then into maltose, and finally into glucose that your cells can use. Each step is like a toll booth where the molecule gets smaller!

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