pro·te·ase   (prō'tē-ās', -āz')    n.  Any of various enzymes, including the endopeptidases and exopeptidases, that catalyze the hydrolytic breakdown of proteins into peptides or amino acids.

Main Entry: pro·te·ase
Pronunciation: 'prOt-E-"As, -"Az
Function: noun
: any of numerous enzymes that hydrolyze proteins and are classifiedaccording to the most prominent functional group (as serine or cysteine) at the active site called also proteinase; —compare PEPTIDASE

protease pro·te·ase (prō'tē-ās', -āz')
n.
Any of various enzymes, including the proteinases and peptidases, that catalyze the hydrolytic breakdown of proteins.

protease

any of a group of enzymes that break the long chainlike molecules of proteins into shorter fragments (peptides) and eventually into their components, amino acids. Proteolytic enzymes are present in bacteria and plants but are most abundant in animals. In the stomach, protein materials are attacked initially by the gastric enzyme pepsin. When the protein material is passed to the small intestine, proteins, which are only partially digested in the stomach, are further attacked by proteolytic enzymes secreted by the pancreas.

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