zymosan Biochem.
(ˈzaɪməʊsæn)
[f. zymo-, after glucosan, hexosan.]
An insoluble polysaccharide of the cell wall of yeast, used in the assay of properdin.
| 1943 E. E. Ecker et al. in Jrnl. Immunol. XLVII. 185 The preparation of human complement lacking in third component. The third component is specifically removed from or inactivated in human serum by the insoluble carbohydrate prepared from fresh yeast... The insoluble carbohydrate is hereafter referred to as ‘zymosan’. 1973 Sci. Amer. Nov. 60/3 The incubation of normal blood serum..with certain polysaccharides derived from microbial cells (such as zymosan, a carbohydrate of the yeast cell membrane) gives rise to enzymes that activate the complement factors C3 and C5. |