Enzyme

ENZYMES

A German physiologist Wilhelm kuhne use the term first in 1878.

Definition:

“Enzymes are the organic catalysts that speed up the rate of biochemical reaction without being permanently altered in the process “

Characteristics of Enzymes:-

1: All enzymes are protein made up of amino acids.

2: They have globular (globe like) shape.

3: They catalyze chemical reactions within the living cell But remain unchanged at the end of the reaction.

4: They are very fast in their action. For example one molecule of catalase (an enzyme) can decompose About 600,000 (six laces) molecules of H2O2 into H20 and O2 per second at body temperature.

5: Enzymes lower down the energy of activation needed for the reaction.

6: They are produced in small quantities in every living cell a cell cannot remains alive without enzymes.

7: Enzymes are highly specific in action.

8: Enzymes are affected by temperature, PH and concentration of substrate.

9: Enzymes have active sites with specific shapes reaction takes place in these active sites.

10: At high temperature or PH they may be denatured and become useless.

Active site of enzymes:-

The particular region on the enzyme where the substrate binds is called active site of the enzyme.

Enzymes are protein made up amino acids. The active site of the enzyme is usually formed by 3 to 12 amino acids

The active site is the place where the substrate is broken down into products.

Denaturation of Enzyme:-

It is a change in the molecular structure of globular proteins e.g. enzymes.  The bonds are broken and the enzyme quit their role. It usually happened in extreme change in PH of the medium or extreme increase in temperature.

Importance of enzymes in life:-

Enzymes control, regulate and speed up metabolic reactions in the cell between suitable temperature ranges in their absence the reactions would be very slow. Except viruses all organism have their own enzymes in every cell.