oxyanion
OK-see-an-eye-on
Definition
A negatively charged ion in which an atom is covalently bonded to one or more oxygen atoms, often forming a critical component of an enzyme's active site.
Etymology
Derived from the combination of 'oxy-' (from oxygen, which itself comes from Greek 'oxys' meaning sharp or acid) and 'anion' (from Greek 'anienai' meaning to go up, referring to a negatively charged particle that moves toward an anode).
In the news
The article mentions an 'oxyanion hole' as a specific structural feature of the worm's enzyme, which works in conjunction with a catalytic triad to help dismantle bacterial polymers.
A marine worm with no mouth and no gut makes its own enzyme for digesting the bioplastic its skin bacteria build up, and the same kind of enzyme turned up in 66 more animal species across nine phyla, from a sponge to an earthworm to a springtail
Read the full article ↗ScienceBlog.com