U+9176 "酶" CJK Unified Ideograph-# Unicode Character
U+9176 "酶" CJK Unified Ideograph-# is a Chinese character that means "enzyme," a biological molecule that acts as a catalyst to speed up chemical reactions in living organisms, typically consisting of a single word in modern usage. Etymologically, this ideograph is formed from the radical 酉 (which relates to fermentation or alcohol) on the left side, and the phonetic component 每 on the right, reflecting its historical association with biochemical processes such as fermentation and digestion. In contemporary contexts, the character is essential in scientific and medical terminology, appearing in compounds like 酶学 (enzymology) and 消化酶 (digestive enzyme), and it plays a critical role in fields ranging from molecular biology to industrial biotechnology.