Etymology

rubisco

R1U1B3I1S1C3O1

Today it means: An enzyme (ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase oxygenase) which catalyzes both the fixing of atmospheric carbon dioxide during photosynthesis (and for a few chemioautotrophic bacteria) and the reverse process of photorespiration. Full definition →

First used 20th c.
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Rubisco · noun1

From RuBisCO

RuBisCO · noun2

Coined in 1979 by David Eisenberg, from r(ib)u(lose) + bis(phosphate) + c(arboxylase) + o(xygenase). Coinage was in 1979 at a seminar honoring the retirement of the early, prominent RuBisCO researcher, Sam Wildman, and also alluded to the snack food trade name "Nabisco" in reference to Wildman's attempts to create an edible protein supplement from tobacco leaves.

First known use, by meaning

  • from 20th c. An enzyme (ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase oxygenase) which catalyzes both the fixing of atmospheric carbon dioxide during photosynthesis (and for a few chemioautotrophic bacteria) and the reverse process of photorespiration.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.