Constitutive
[KAHN-stə-tyoo-div]
Part of speech: adjective
Origin: Latin, 17th century
1.
Forming an essential element of something.
2.
(Biochemistry) relating to an enzyme or enzyme system that is continuously produced in an organism, regardless of the needs of cells.
Examples of Constitutive in a sentence
"Having the right language to express ideas is constitutive to being a good writer."
"Constitutive enzymes are essential players in the human body."
About Constitutive
This word comes from the Medieval Latin “constitutivus.” This originates from “constitut-,” the past participle stem of “constituere, which means "to cause to stand, set up, fix, place, establish, set in order."
Did you Know?
Constitutive genes are genes that are always “on,” meaning it is transcribed continually. These genes control the ability of DNA to replicate, express, and repair itself. They also control protein synthesis and much of an organism's central metabolism. Regulated genes, on the other hand, are needed only occasionally. They are activated and deactivated by regulatory proteins.
