decarboxylate
Definition
- Verb (transitive):
- To remove a carboxyl group (a -COOH functional group) from a chemical compound. This is a chemical reaction.
- Verb (intransitive):
- (Of a chemical compound) To lose a carboxyl group.
Usage
- This word is a technical term used primarily in chemistry and biochemistry.
- As a transitive verb, it describes an action performed on a compound.
- As an intransitive verb, it describes a process that happens to the compound itself.
Examples
- Transitive usage:
- The enzyme helps decarboxylate the amino acid, producing an amine.
- Heating the compound will decarboxylate it, releasing carbon dioxide.
- Intransitive usage:
- Over time, the acidic solution caused the molecule to decarboxylate.
- When heated, the compound decarboxylates readily.
Advanced Usage
- The process of removing a carboxyl group is called decarboxylation (noun).
- The decarboxylation of pyruvate is a key step in cellular respiration.
Variants and Related Words
- Decarboxylation (n): The chemical reaction in which a carboxyl group is removed, typically releasing carbon dioxide (CO₂).
- Carboxylate (n/v): A salt or ester of a carboxylic acid; to introduce a carboxyl group into (a compound). (This is related but often represents the opposite or starting point of the reaction).
- Decarboxylase (n): An enzyme that catalyzes a decarboxylation reaction.
Synonyms
- Decompose (specifically) (for the intransitive sense, when referring to the loss of CO₂).
- Remove a carboxyl group (for the transitive sense, as a descriptive phrase).
Antonyms
- Carboxylate (in the sense of adding a carboxyl group).
Verb
-
remove a carboxyl group from (a chemical compound)
-
lose a carboxyl group
-
the compound decarboxylated
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