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Affixes: the building blocks of English
Affixes: the building blocks of English
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carboxy-

The carboxyl group.

[Carbo- plus ox(y)-2.]

The carboxyl group is the organic acid radical —COOH; a carboxylic acid is an organic acid containing one or more carboxyl groups, which form esters called carboxylates. In medicine a carboxylase is an enzyme which causes a carboxyl group to be added to a compound; carboxyhaemoglobin is a compound formed in the blood by binding carbon monoxide to haemoglobin, which prevents it from transporting oxygen; carboxymethylcellulose is a polymer derived from cellulose, used as a stabilizer for various foods and an appetite suppressor.

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