(noun. /my-cro-SOME/)
by Raeanne Geffert
What does it mean?
A microsome is a fraction of a cell that contains some enzymes and cellular organelles. They are typically derived from a specific tissue in the body. They are formed by taking a tissue and breaking it up, then centrifuging and separating the microsomes from other cell parts. Microsomes are often used in the lab to incubate drugs at human body temperature over a period of time. This allows the researcher to see how the drug breaks down and which drug products, or metabolites, are formed.
How do I use it in a sentence?
“We are incubating human liver microsomes to determine how a drug forms metabolites over time.”
Image is the author’s own work. Created with Biorender.com.
Related terms
Microsomes can also be called a “liver fraction”. Microsomes are a more specific type of liver fraction.
Fields of study in which this word is commonly used
Commonly used in biology or pharmacy fields.
