noun
- An enzyme that acts on the internal bonds of a substrate molecule, rather than on bonds at the ends; an intracellular enzyme.
Usage: biochemistry; technical
Examples
- Endoenzymes break down polymers by cleaving bonds within the chain rather than at the terminals.
- Many digestive enzymes function as endoenzymes, working on the interior structure of proteins.
- The distinction between endoenzymes and exoenzymes is important in understanding enzyme classification.
- Cellulase acts as an endoenzyme when it degrades cellulose from within the fiber structure.