Enzymes

Definition: An enzyme is a biological catalyst which speeds up the rate of a chemical reaction.

- A catalyst is a substance which speeds up the rate of a chemical reaction without itself being
changed. Biological catalysts are catalysts made by living organisms.

- Chemical reactions that occur in the body are called metabolic reactions. Enzymes make these
reactions happen faster.

- The substance the enzyme is breaks down is called the substrate.

Properties of Enzymes:

1) Enzymes are protein molecules. Amino acids from our food are used to make enzymes.

2) Enzymes are destroyed by heat. This is because they are proteins which cannot work when
heated above 40°C because they become destroyed.

3) Enzymes are specific. This means they can only work on one type of substrate (substance) and
catalyze (speed up) one type of reaction.

4) They are reusable. A small amount of enzymes can break down a large amount of substrate.

5) Enzymes are affected by pH. Different enzymes work best at a certain pH (neutral or alkaline).

6) Enzymes are soluble in water. They can dissolve body fluids and are able to move around the
body.

7) Enzymes remain chemically unchanged at the end of the reaction so that they can go on to carry
out more of the same reaction.

8) Enzymes are sensitive to poisons e.g. arsenic and cyanide.

Examples of Enzyme-catalyzed
reactions:

- Substrate + Enzyme → Product (s)

- Starch + Amylase → Maltose

- Hydrogen peroxide + Catalase →

Water + Oxygen

NB* Catalase is an enzyme which breaks down hydrogen peroxide to water and oxygen. Hydrogen
peroxide is a by-product of many metabolic reactions in the body and is very poisonous. To prevent it
from harming the body cells catalase quickly breaks it down to harmless substances.

1
Role and Importance of Enzymes in Digestion:

- Enzymes are responsible for

converting large food molecules into
smaller food molecules inside of the
alimentary canal.

- There are specific types of enzymes

which break down specific types of
food at a specific location in the
alimentary canal.

- For example, salivary amylase

breaks down carbohydrates in the
mouth. Pepsin breaks down proteins in the stomach.

Effect of Temperature on the activity of

enzymes:

- As temperature increases the rate of

enzyme activity increases.

- This is due to the enzyme obtaining more

energy to collide with the substrate molecules
faster to break them down faster.

- The temperature the enzyme works the

fastest is called the optimum temperature.

- Below the optimum temperature the enzyme will not work as fast since it will not have enough
energy to do so.

- Above the optimum temperature the enzyme starts to become denatured or destroyed.

- For this reason, enzymes in humans operate best around 37°C (body temperature).

Effect of pH on the activity of enzymes:

- Enzymes work best at certain pH. Different

enzymes may work best at different pH.
This pH is called the optimum pH.

- Below or above this pH the enzyme

molecules change its shape so that the
substrate cannot fit in the active site
anymore and the rate of activity decreases.