Enzymes are proteins that participate in cellular metabolic processes with the ability to enhance the rate of reaction

between biomolecules. Some enzymes can even reverse a reaction from the direction it would normally take, by reducing the activation energy (Ea) to the extent that the reaction favours the reverse direction. Simlarly, enzymes can catalyze reactions that might not otherwise occur, by lowering the Ea to a more "affordable" level for the cell. Enzymes can be isolated using various protein purification methods. The purity of an enzyme preparation is measured by determining it's specific activity biotech.about.com/od/glossary/g/Enzyme.html Enzymes have extremely interesting properties that make them little chemical-reaction machines. The purpose of an enzyme in a cell is to allow the cell to carry out chemical reactions very quickly. These reactions allow the cell to build things or take things apart as needed. This is how a cell grows and reproduces. At the most basic level, a cell is really a little bag full of chemical reactions that are made possible by enzymes! Enzymes are made from amino acids, and they are proteins. When an enzyme is formed, it is made by stringing together between 100 and 1,000 amino acids in a very specific and unique order. The chain of amino acids then folds into a unique shape. That shape allows the enzyme to carry out specific chemical reactions -- an enzyme acts as a very efficient catalyst for a specific chemical reaction. The enzyme speeds that reaction up tremendously. For example, the sugar maltose is made from two glucose molecules bonded together. The enzyme maltase is shaped in such a way that it can break the bond and free the two glucose pieces. The only thing maltase can do is break maltose molecules, but it can do that very rapidly and efficiently. Other types of enzymes can put atoms and molecules together. Breaking molecules apart and putting molecules together is what enzymes do, and there is a specific enzyme for each chemical reaction needed to make the cell work properly. Ptylin is a form of amylase found in saliva of humans and some animals. Another name of ptylin is salivary amylase. It is weak enzyme but the most important amylolytic enzyme secreted in mouth (buccal cavity) by the salivary glands. This type of amylase is found only in humans. Action of Ptyalin: The main function of ptyalin is to catalyze the hydrolysis of starch into maltose and dextrin. Following are the steps in the process of digestion of carbohydrate in buccal cavity, showing the action of Ptyalin: This action of Ptyalin also occurs in the stomach before the concentration of Hcl becomes adequate. From the above explanation, it is clear that Ptyalin initiates the digestion of carbohydrates in a favourable way beginning from buccal cavity. Due to absence of lipolytic and proteolytic enzyme in saliva, fat and protein digestion do not occur in the buccal cavity. gastric juice gastric juice thin, strongly acidic ( p H varying from 1 to 3), almost colorless liquid secreted by the glands in the lining of the stomach. Its essential constituents are the digestive enzymes pepsin and rennin (see rennet ), hydrochloric acid, and mucus. Pepsin converts proteins into simpler, more easily absorbed substances; it is aided in this by hydrochloric acid, which provides the acid environment in which pepsin is most effective. Rennin aids the digestion of milk proteins. Mucus secreted by the gastric glands helps protect the stomach lining from the action of gastric juice. Gastric secretion is stimulated by a number of hormones and chemical substances, by the presence of food in the stomach, and by a number of psychological factors, such as the smell of a favorite food. A decrease or total absence of gastric juice secretion may be a congenital abnormality or a concomitant of advanced age. Certain cells of the stomach lining secrete a substance known as intrinsic factor, which is necessary for the absorption of vitamin B 12 ; absence of this substance results in pernicious anemia, or B12 deficiency (see vitamin ). http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/gastric_juice.aspx pancreatic juice , secretions of the exocrine portion of thepancreas into the small intestine. The juice contains a number of important digestive enzymes , including trypsin ,chymotrypsin , carboxypeptidase, lipase , and amylase . Pancreatic juice is alkaline in nature because of a high concentration of bicarbonate ions; this helps to neutralize the acidic gastric juice from the stomach. Secretion of pancreatic juice is stimulated by hormones of the duodenum, such as secretin and cholecystokinin, and by nervous impulses through the vagus nerve.

Enzymes are biological catalysts or assistants. Enzymes consist of various types of proteins that work to drive the chemical reaction required for a specific action or nutrient. Enzymes can either launch a reaction or speed it up. The chemicals that are transformed with the help of enzymes are called substrates. In the absence of enzymes, these chemicals are calledreactants. http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-enzymes.htm enzyme activity the catalytic effect exerted by an enzyme, expressed as units per milligram of enzyme(specific a.) or as molecules of substrate transformed per minute per molecule of enzyme (molecular a.) . http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/enzyme+activity Enzyme Activity is the process of Increasing or decreasing chemical reactions in a cell. it is affected by factors such as other molecules, drugs, poisions, and temperature. http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20101230163037AAbmigM FOR AMYLASE 1. What reaction does amylase catalyze? The conversion of starches into sugars. Alpha amylase is present in saliva, so this is the very first step in the digestive process. Starches that have not been converted by saliva are acted upon in the small intestine by alpha amylase produced in the pancreas. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_reaction_does_amylase_catalyze Now to talk about the two types of amylase. For starters, it may help you to think of enzymes as little PacMen that go around taking bites out of things. Now consider that there are two types of amylase PacMen. One has a mouth that likes to bite into the middle of the long chain of sugars that make up starch. Each bite makes a break in the chain. This PacMan is called alpha-amylase. More scientifically stated, alpha-amylase hydrolyzes saccharide bonds, which are those pointed at by the arrows in the figure, above. So imagine, a bunch of alphaamylases randomly bouncing around (Brownian motion!) in among some extremely long starch molecules. Whenever a "mouth" - the enzymatic or active site - bounces against a saccharide bond, "snip", and the bond is broken (hydrolyzed as a water molecule is added "across" the saccharide bond). With that bond broken, the whole starch molecule is now in two pieces. The more "bites," the more and smaller pieces. To help you "identify" with alpha-amylase, you will be happy to know that most of you have lots of it in your saliva.** beta-amylase PacMan is very picky and can only "chew" on the ends of a starch molecule, and only on one end and not both. It can only chew on the "reducing" end of starch, and that is the end far off the righthand side of the figure above. When beta-amylase does its job, it bites of maltose units - in other words, two glucose units at a time. Hint: we are not gong to consider beta-amylase further other than to point out that one place it is found is in your stomach juices http://www.science-projects.com/Amylase.htm 2. In animals the highest concentrations of amylase are found in the saliva and in the pancreas. Salivary amylase is also known as ptyalin and is found in humans, the ape, pig, guinea pig, squirrel, mouse, and rat. Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/amylase#ixzz1QGK5NzRn 3. It helps find pancreatic diseases in the body and it can help determine if a treatment for your pancreatic disease in working. http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/amylase-17444 Amyalase (salivary amylase) is an enzyme secreted by the salivary glands. It is also called ptyalin. It help in the process of digestion. http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Salivary+amylase FOR CATALASE 1. One of the by-products of many cellular reactions is hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). It is extremely toxic to living cells. All aerobic organisms use oxygen for respiration or oxidation of nutrients. During reduction of molecular oxygen to water, hydrogen peroxide is generated. Two examples of reactions that produce H2O2 are conversions of amino acids into "fuel" molecules and conversion of lipids to carbohydrates. It can damage DNA, protein and lipid membranes and may even be a causative factor in cancer. There are some human immune system cells that actually use H2O2 to kill foreign invaders.The catalase enzyme is specific for the hydrolysis of H2O2

2H2O2 <--> 2H2O + O2 2. Catalase is found in animal and plant tissues, and is especially abundant in plant storage organs such as potato tubers, corms, and in the fleshy parts of fruits. You will use catalase isolated from potato tubers and measure its rate of activity under different conditions. found in nearly all living organisms that are exposed to oxygen, http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_ideas/BioChem_p011.shtml Where is it found and what does it do? Catalase is located in a cell organelle called the peroxisome. Peroxisomes in animal cells are involved in the oxidation of fatty acids, and the synthesis of cholesterol and bile acids. Hydrogen peroxide is a byproduct of fatty acid oxidation. White blood cells produce hydrogen peroxide to kill bacteria. http://www.biology-online.org/biology-forum/about3820.html 3. In both cases catalase prevents the hydrogen peroxide from harming the cell itself. Peroxisomes in plant cells are involved in photorespiration (the use of oxygen and production of carbon dioxide) and symbiotic nitrogen fixation (the breaking apart of the nitrogen molecule N2 to reactive nitrogen atoms). Hydrogen peroxide is produced as an intermediate during these chemical processes and must be removed to prevent damage to cellular machinery. Aerobic (oxygen requiring) bacteria produce hydrogen peroxide as a byproduct of metabolism. This fact is used when identifying bacteria. If hydrogen peroxide is added to a bacterial colony and bubbles are produced, this is evidence of oxygen production and confirms that the colony is aerobic. Prokaryotes, organisms like bacteria that lack a nuclear membrane, also lack membrane bound organelles such as peroxisomes. Antioxidant enzymes like catalase and superoxide dismutase are located in the periplasmic space which is the space between the inner and outer membranes of the cell wall. There are numerous enzymes located here that would be toxic if they were found inside the cell. The catalase found here can act on toxic molecules that are transported to the periplasm or the enzyme can be released outside the bacterial wall where it can act on toxic molecules in the environment. Catalase that is released by the bacteria plays a role in protecting the bacteria from being destroyed by white blood cells during an infection. http://www.biology-online.org/biology-forum/about3820.html