amylase
"Very different. Alpha-amylase is like a pair of pruning scissors, Alpha galactosidase is like a paper shredder."
"This is where we really need the help of alpha amylase. Unlike beta amylase, alpha amylase is an endo-enzyme and randomly breaks alpha 1-4 bonds from the inside of the molecule. Using the tree analogy, alpha-amylase is like a tree removal guy using a chain saw to cut a big tree into several medium-sized pieces. With every cut, a new trunk is created and beta-amylase can latch onto the trunk (a reducing end) and do its thing until it runs into another alpha 1-6 branch"
METAMIA is a free database of analogy and metaphor. Anyone can contribute or search. The subject matter can be anything. Science is popular, but poetry is encouraged. The goal is to integrate our fluid muses with the stark literalism of a relational database. Metamia is like a girdle for your muses, a cognitive girdle.