polyhydroxybutyrate
pah-lee-hy-drohk-see-BYOO-tuh-rayt
Definition
A specific type of biodegradable polyester commonly produced by bacteria as a carbon and energy storage material.
Etymology
The word is a chemical compound name derived from 'poly-' (many), 'hydroxy' (containing a hydroxyl group), and 'butyrate' (a derivative of butyric acid, named after the Latin 'butyrum' for butter, where it was first discovered).
In the news
In this article, polyhydroxybutyrate is a primary component of the energy stores produced by the worm's symbiotic bacteria, which the worm then breaks down using its own enzymes.
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