An enzyme that hydrolyses polysaccharides in the cell walls of bacteria. In 1965 it became the first enzyme to have its structure determined when this was achieved using X-ray crystallography. Lysozyme has a cleft that is the active site for its catalytic property. This is a feature shared by many other enzymes.
Biology
An antibacterial enzyme widely distributed in body fluids and secretions, including tears and saliva. It disrupts the polysaccharide components of bacterial cell walls, leaving them susceptible to destruction.