From Metabolism to Chemical to Denaturation - Science Terms Etymologized! episode artwork

EPISODE · Apr 14, 2025 · 15 MIN

From Metabolism to Chemical to Denaturation - Science Terms Etymologized!

from Latin in Layman’s - A Rhetoric Revolution · host Liam Connerly

Metabolism  1878 in the physiology sense of "the sum of the chemical changes within the body by which the protoplasm is renewed, changed, or prepared for excretion,"  from Greek metabole "a change," from metaballein "to change," from meta "change" + ballein "to throw".Chemical  from chemic "of alchemy" (a worn-down derivative of Medieval Latin alchimicus) + -al (of or pertaining to).Catabolic   1876, katabolism, "destructive metabolism,"  from Greek from kata "down" + ballein "to throw".Anabolic "pertaining to the process of building up" (especially in metabolism), 1876, with -ic + Greek from ana "up, upward"  + ballein "to throw."Reactant  1640s, "to exert, as a thing acted upon, an opposite action upon the agent," from re- "back" + “act” from Latin actus, past participle of agere "to set in motion, drive, drive forward," hence "to do, perform,"Product early 15c., "mathematical quantity obtained by multiplication," from Medieval Latin productum, in classical Latin "something produced," noun use of neuter past participle of producere "bring forth"Endothermic Endo- word-forming element meaning "inside, within, internal," from Greek endon "in, within."   from Greek therme "heat, feverish heat."Exothermic  from Greek exō (adv.) "outside," related to ex (prep.) "out of"  from Greek therme "heat, feverish heat." Enzyme from Modern Greek enzymos "leavened," from en "in/within" + zymē "leaven"  En+zyme = “Leavened within/in” Hence, where we get leavened bread: substance, typically yeast, that is used in dough to make it rise.Catalyst 1650s, "dissolution,"  from Latinized form of Greek katalysis "dissolution, a dissolving"  from kata "down" (or "completely"), + lyein "to loosen"Denaturation from Latin de "down, down from, from, off; concerning" (see de), also used as a prefix in Latin, usually meaning "down, off, away, from among, down from," (defenestration; the action of throwing someone out of a window.)  Fenestra (latin noun); window from Latin natura "course of things; natural character, constitution, quality; the universe," literally "birth," from natus "born," past participle of nasci "to be born,"Consumer  from Latin consumere "to use up, eat, waste," from assimilated form of com-, here perhaps an intensive prefix + sumere "to take,"  from sub- "under" + emere "to buy, take"Carnivore   from Latin carnivorus "flesh-eating" Omnivore  formed from omnivorous on model of carnivore/carnivorous. French omnivore was noted as a neologism in that language in 1801 and might be the direct source of the English word.Aerobic  from Greek aero- "air" + bios "life" Anaerobic  from Greek an- "without" + aēr "air" + bios "life"

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From Metabolism to Chemical to Denaturation - Science Terms Etymologized!

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