Science & TechnologyGreek → English
Protein
/ˈproʊtiːn/noun
A large molecule built from chains of amino acids, doing most of the work inside living cells.
The Greek roots
πρῶτος
prôtos
first, foremost
Literally: “of first importance”
Follow a root:πρῶτος7 words
The story of the word
Gerardus Mulder published the name in 1838 after Jöns Jacob Berzelius suggested it in a letter, arguing that the substance was primary to life. Mulder believed all proteins were one compound with minor variations, which was wrong, but the name outlived the theory. Πρῶτος also gives protocol, originally the first sheet glued to a papyrus roll to declare what it held, and protagonist, the first competitor.
- How it travelled
- Ancient Greek → scientific coinage → English
- First recorded
- 1840s
Same family
protocolprotagonistprototypeproton
In a sentence
A single misfolded protein is enough to bring the whole cascade down.