An enzyme that breaks down galactose or related compounds in biological systems.
From 'galactose' (the milk sugar) plus the enzyme suffix '-ase.' All enzyme names in biochemistry end in '-ase' to indicate they're proteins that catalyze chemical reactions.
Enzymes are nature's catalysts, and the '-ase' suffix is so useful that scientists add it to the substrate name—lactase breaks lactose, protease breaks proteins, cellulase breaks cellulose—it's a universal naming code.
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