polymerase

Term: polymerase

Origin:  An Greek πολύ/poly(=multiple) +μέρος/meros(part) -άση /ase(suffix ) meaning that this molecule makes multiple identical parts of a template.

Coined:  in 1838 by  Swedish chemist Jons Jakob  Berzelius (1779-1848)

Definition:

A polymerase is an enzyme that catalyzes the polymerization of nucleic acids such as RNA and DNA which are considered as polymers (polynucleotides).