enzymes

Enzymes
are biological catalyst
that
regulate
almost
all the
cellular
reactions
Text book
Thingking process: describing ocntext
Biochemical
reactions occur
simultaneously in a
cell and in a series
of linked reactions
Enzymes act as
biological catalysts
Different type of
enzymes can only
catalyst one
particular reaction
Enzymes regulate
almost all the cellular
reactions
Enzymes control
the speed of
chemical reactions
in human body

Enzymes are
synthesised by
living organisms

Enzymes are
proteins
This is because
enzymes are not used
up but released at the
end of the reaction
The same enzymes
molecules can process
a large molecules of
substrate molecules
Enzymes are
needed in small
amount

Enzymes are not affected
by the reactions they
catalyse
This means enzymes are
not changed or destroyed
by the reactions


Enzymes speed up
biochemical
reactions

Most enzymes can catalyse
specific reactions both in the
forward and in the reverse
direction

Reversible

Examples of inhibitors
are heavy metals such as
lead and mercury

Can be slowed down
by inhibitors



Each enzyme can usually catalyse
only a single reaction or one kind or
substrate
Enzymes have specific sites called
active sites which bind to specific
substrate. For example, only starch
molecules (substrate) can fit into the
active sites of salivary amylase
(enzyme) while protein molecules
cannot

Highly specifc

Cofactors binds to the
enzymes and help to
weaken the bonds in
the substrate
molecules.
Examples of inorganic
cofactors are iron and
copper. Organic
cofactors or coenzymes
include water-soluble
vitamins such as
vitamin B comples.


Require
confactors to
function

Since enzymes are higly specific in their actions, the
names of the most enzymes are derived by adding
suffix -ase to the name of the substrates they
hydrolyse. For example,

Subtrates Enzyme
Lactose Lactase
Sucrose Sucrase
Lipid Lipase
The name of the enymes is written above the
reaction arrow. For example, sucrase hyrolyses the
breakdown of sucrase to glucose and fructose.

Sucrose + water glucose + fructose
However, there are some enzymes that were named before a
systematic way of naming enzymes was formulated. For
example, pepsin, trypsin and rennin.
hydrolysis

The nucleus contains DNA which carries the information
for the synthesis of enzymes
Proteins that are synthesised at the ribosomes are
transported through the space within the rough
endoplasmic reticulum
Proteins that are from rough ER
wrapped in vesicles that bud off from
the membranes of the rough ER
These tansport vesicles then fuse with
the membranes of the Golgi apparatus
and empty their contents into the
membranuos space
The proteins are further modified
in the Golgi apparatus.
Secretory vesicles containing these
enzymes bud off them from the Golgi
apparatus and travel to plasma
membrane
These vesicles will then fuse with
the plasma membrane before
releasing the enzymes outside
the cell as enzymes