noun
- Plural of enterokinase; enzymes produced in the small intestine that activate trypsinogen to trypsin, facilitating protein digestion.
Usage: technical; biochemistry; also called enteropeptidase
Examples
- Enterokinases are essential for converting inactive trypsinogen into active trypsin in the duodenum.
- The small intestine secretes enterokinases to initiate the cascade of protein-digesting enzymes.
- Without sufficient enterokinases, protein digestion would be significantly impaired.
- Enterokinases play a crucial role in the activation of pancreatic zymogens.