A suffix used in enzyme names to indicate that a protein catalyzes a biochemical reaction (like 'protease' or 'lipase').
From diastase, the first enzyme discovered (1833), which broke down starch. The -ase ending became standardized for all enzyme names.
The -ase suffix is chemistry's way of labeling workers—every -ase is a molecular machine that does one specific job, from DNA copying to breaking down fats!
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