zymogenic

Zymogenic is an adjective used in biology to describe something related to zymogens or the formation of enzymatic precursors. The term derives from zymo-, from Greek zymos meaning leaven or ferment, and -genic meaning producing or forming. In practice, zymogenic is most often encountered in the context of digestive enzymes, where cells or processes generate zymogens, the inactive precursors of proteolytic enzymes.

Zymogenic can describe cells that synthesize and store zymogens before activation. In the exocrine pancreas, acinar cells produce zymogens such as trypsinogen and chymotrypsinogen and release them in zymogen granules; such cells may be described as zymogenic, although the more common term is “zymogen-secreting” or simply “pancreatic acinar cells.” In the stomach, chief cells secrete pepsinogen, a zymogen, and may be described as zymogenic in older or histology-focused literature.

Related concepts include zymogen, zymogenesis (the process of enzyme formation or activation), and enzyme maturation. The term “zymogenic” is not widely used in modern textbooks, and precise terminology—such as “zymogen-secreting cells” or “enzymatic precursor”—is typically preferred.

See also: Zymogen; Zymogenesis; Digestive enzymes; Pancreatic acinar cells.