Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Urease
Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics
Quick Facts
Related Topics:
Hydrolase
See all related content
Britannica AI Icon
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites

Urease

enzyme
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
Last updated
•History

Urease, an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of urea, forming ammonia and carbon dioxide. Found in large quantities in jack beans, soybeans, and other plant seeds, it also occurs in some animal tissues and intestinal microorganisms. Urease is significant in the history of enzymology as the first enzyme to be purified and crystallized (by James B. Sumner in 1926). This achievement laid the groundwork for the subsequent demonstration that urease and other enzymes are proteins.