LESSON 3: ENZYMES

The enzyme amylase (pictured), breaks down starch into sugars.

Enzymes help speed up chemical reactions in the human body. They bind to molecules and alter them in
specific ways. They are essential for respiration, digesting food, muscle and nerve function, among thousands of
other roles.

Enzymes are built of proteins folded into complicated shapes; they are present throughout the body.

Without enzymes, those reactions simply would not occur or would run too slowly to sustain life. For
example, without enzymes, digestion would be impossible.

The chemical reactions that keep us alive – our metabolism – rely on the work that enzymes carry out.

Like all proteins, enzymes consist of chains of amino acids. Most biochemical reactions in humans, plants and
animals are catalyzed by enzymes and their actions vary depending ultimately on their amino acid sequence. Each
enzyme has a specific action depending on the three-dimensional structure and in particular the active site of the
enzyme molecule.

Enzymes speed up (catalyze) chemical reactions; in some cases, enzymes can make a chemical reaction
millions of times faster than it would have been without it.

A substrate binds to the active site of an enzyme and is converted into products. Once the products leave
the active site, the enzyme is ready to attach to a new substrate and repeat the process.
What Do Enzymes Do?

The digestive system – enzymes help the body break down larger complex molecules into smaller molecules,
such as glucose, so that the body can use them as fuel.

DNA replication – each cell in your body contains DNA. Each time a cell divides, that DNA needs to be copied.
Enzymes help in this process by unwinding the DNA coils and copying the information.

Liver enzymes – the liver breaks down toxins in the body. To do this, it uses a range of enzymes.

Functions of Enzymes in Human Body

ENZYME SECRETED BY FUNCTION

Trypsin Pancreas Converts proteins to peptides

Chymotrypsin Pancreas Converts proteins to peptides

Carboxypolypeptidase Pancreas Converts peptides into amino acid.

Pancreatic Amylase Pancreas Converts starch to maltose

Steapsin (Pancreatic Lipase) Pancrease Converts fats into fatty acids and glycerol

Salivary Amylase (Ptyalin) Salivary Glands Converts starch to maltose

Entirokinase Small Intestine entirokinase activates trypsinogen to tryspsin.

Eripsin Small Intestine Converts polypeptides to amino acids.

Maltase Small Intestine Digests Maltose to glucose.

Sucrase Small Intestine Digests sucrose into glucose and fructose.

Lactase Small Intestine Digests lactose into glucose and galactose.

Renin Stomach Converts milk proteins to peptides

Pepsin Stomach Converts other proteins to peptides

Gastric Amylase Stomach Converts starch to maltose

Gastric Lipase Stomach Converts butter fat into fatty acids and glycerol
How Enzymes Work

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Enzyme Lock and Key Model

The “lock and key” model was first proposed in 1894. In this model, an enzyme’s active site is a specific
shape, and only the substrate will fit into it, like a lock and key.

This model has now been updated and is called the induced-fit model.

In this model, the active site changes shape as it interacts with the substrate. Once the substrate is fully
locked in and in the exact position, the catalysis can begin.

Examples of Specific Enzymes

There are thousands of enzymes in the human body, here are just a few examples:

• Lipases – a group of enzymes that help digest fats in the gut.

• Amylase – helps change starches into sugars. Amylase is found in saliva.
• Maltase – also found in saliva; breaks the sugar maltose into glucose. Maltose is found in foods such as
potatoes, pasta, and beer.
• Trypsin – found in the small intestine, breaks proteins down into amino acids.
• Lactase – also found in the small intestine, breaks lactose, the sugar in milk, into glucose and galactose.
• Acetylcholinesterase – breaks down the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in nerves and muscles.
• Helicase – unravels DNA.
• DNA polymerase – synthesize DNA from deoxyribonucleotides.

The Perfect Conditions

Enzymes can only work in certain conditions. Most enzymes in the human body work best at around 37°C –
body temperature. At lower temperatures, they will still work but much more slowly.
 Similarly, enzymes can only function in a certain pH range (acidic/alkaline). Their preference depends on
where they are found in the body. For instance, enzymes in the intestines work best at 7.5 pH, whereas enzymes in
the stomach work best at pH 2 because the stomach is much more acidic.

If the temperature is too high or if the environment is too acidic or alkaline, the enzyme changes shape; this
alters the shape of the active site so that substrates cannot bind to it – the enzyme has become denatured.

The Ideal pH Range

Enzyme activity is influenced by pH, temperature, and the substrate concentration of the solution.
Depending on the type of enzyme, the pH will have a different impact on the rate of reaction.

Cofactors

Some enzymes cannot function unless they have a specific non-protein molecule attached to them. These
are called cofactors. For instance, carbonic anhydrase, an enzyme that helps maintain the pH of the body, cannot
function unless it is attached to a zinc ion.

Inhibition

To ensure that the body’s systems work correctly, sometimes enzymes need to be slowed down. For
instance, if an enzyme is making too much of a product, there needs to be a way to reduce or stop production.
Enzymes’ activity can be inhibited in a number of ways:

• Competitive inhibitors – a molecule blocks the active site so that the substrate has to compete with the
inhibitor to attach to the enzyme.

• Non-competitive inhibitors – a molecule binds to an enzyme somewhere other than the active site and
reduces how effectively it works.

• Uncompetitive inhibitors – the inhibitor binds to the enzyme and substrate after they have bound to each
other. The products leave the active site less easily, and the reaction is slowed down.

• Irreversible inhibitors – an irreversible inhibitor binds to an enzyme and permanently inactivates it.

BENEFITS OF ENZYMES

Sustainable Solution

Enzymes are enabling various industries to guarantee the quality and stability of its products with increased
production efficiency. They also help provide environment-friendly products to consumers thanks to using less
energy, water and raw materials and generating less waste.

Most industries are confronted with production waste that can be hazardous for nature. This is not the case
with enzymes as they are fully biodegradable. When industrial enzymes have done their job, they break down into
amino acids that are naturally recycled in the environment.

Enzyme s also help to improve resource efficiency in the food chain by reducing processing losses.

High Quality

Enzymes meet the demands of the modern society for convenience – without compromising health and
safety.

Enzymes enable the manufacturing of high-quality products, increasing the yields and avoiding unwanted by-
products. For example, cotton treated with enzymes does not go fluffy; it looks better and lasts longer. In the juice
industry, enzymes make the fruits easier to press and the juice clearer.

Finally, enzymes can also improve the health profile of food and help respond to special dietary needs. For
example, they facilitate the production of low-salt processed meats, or enable millions of people with lactose
intolerance to digest dairy products.

Enzyme Applications

Enzymes are very useful catalysts in many different industrial processes because they perform very
specifically, at a particular processing step in the manufacture of a product. The enzymes used in industrial processes
also originate from nature, and therefore can be used in the same way as nature does.

They help to provide environmentally friendly products to consumers, which are manufactured using less
energy, water and raw materials – and generating less waste.
 Enzymes are used to make and improve nearly 400 everyday consumer and commercial products. They are
used in foods and beverages processing, animal nutrition, textiles, household cleaning and fuel for cars and energy
generation.

Enzymes are widely used by the food industry for processing raw materials for the production of numerous
and common products such as dairy, bakery products, meat products, fruit products, beer and wine.

They are also used in numerous technical applications such as in paper recycling to remove ink, laundry and
dishwashing detergents (to remove grease, starch and protein stains), textile processing and fabric finishing (i.e. to
remove impurities, to provide a stone washed effect), ethanol production to break down the starch and cellulose
into fermentable sugars.

In a Nutshell

Enzymes play a huge part in the day-to-day running of the human body. By binding to and altering
compounds, they are vital for the proper functioning of the digestive system, the nervous system, muscles, and
much, much more.

REFERENCES:

https://www.expii.com/t/enzyme-reaction-rates-ph-effects-examples
https://amfep.org/about-enzymes/
https://www.studyhash.com/enzymes-human-body/
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DEPARTMENT OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

FIRST SEMESTER 2021-2022

CHBH13: BIOCHEMISTRY FOR HEALTH SCIENCES

LABORATORY WORKSHEET 4
Enzymes

Name: __________________________________________ Score: ____________

Course and Section: _________________________ Date: _______________

INTRODUCTION

Enzymes are proteins – primary components of all living organisms: microorganisms, plants, animals and
humans. They act as catalysts, which means that they make biochemical reactions happen faster than they would
otherwise. Without enzymes, those reactions simply would not occur or would run too slowly to sustain life. For
example, without enzymes, digestion would be impossible.

OBJECTIVES

At the end of this activity, you will be able to:

Describe models of substrate binding to an enzyme’s active site.

To determine which factors that affect enzyme activity
Name the digestive enzymes.
Answer the following questions:

1. What is the difference between an enzyme and a protein?

2. What are the factors affecting enzyme activity?

3. Draw/illustrate the enzymatic reaction steps.

4. Draw the anatomy of the human digestive system. Label and locate the different digestive enzymes of the
different parts of the system.