What are enzymes?

Get to know Enzymes are a linear chain of amino

the human
acid. The sequence of amino acids
specifies the structure, which in turn

body with
identifies the catalytic activity of the
enzyme.

We call enzymes a catalyst because

they can be used over and over in the
reaction. Metabolic processes and

enzymes
other chemical reactions in the cell
are carried out by a set of enzymes
that are necessary to sustain life.

The Origin An enzyme is a type of protein found

within a cell. Enzymes create
In 1833, a French Chemist Anselme
chemical reactions in the body, and
Payen was the first to discover the
can actually speed up the rate of a
vital force that drove the chemical
chemical reaction to help support
reactions that occur in the human
life.
body, and named it enzymes.
Enzymes are substances, proteins,
Some of their important
or in some cases RNA, that speed
up a biochemical reaction by tasks:
modyifying specific substances destroying toxins
called substrates. breaking down food particles
during digestion
breathing.
building muscle.
nerve function.
signal transduction
Did you know? Alyssa Marie Alcantara DNA Replication
Enzymes often end in -ase & 11 - St. Thomas Aquinas hormone production
Sugars often end in -ose
What health conditions can
enzyme problems cause?
Metabolic disorders are often the
result of not having enough of a
certain enzyme. Parents can pass
them to their children through genes
(inherited). Some examples of
inherited metabolic disorders
include:
01 Fabry Disease
prevents body from
making enzymes
02 Krabbe Disease
affects enzymes needed
for the protective covering
(myelin) on nerve cells
03 Maple Syrup Urine
Disease
affects enzymes needed to
break down certain branch
of amino acid chains
The Digestive System
Digestive system uses all kinds of
enzymes. While there are many
different types, there are three
main types produced in the
pancreas, an organ that does a lot
of the working during digestion.
These digestive enzymes are
categorized based on the reactions
they help catalyze:
Amylase breaks down starches
and carbohydrates into sugars.
Protease breaks down proteins
into amino acids.
Lipase breaks down lipids,
which are fats and oils, into
glycerol and fatty acids.
Digestive enzymes are mostly
produced in the pancreas, and help
your body break down foods and
extract nutrients.
All living things
have enzymes!
Parts of an Enzyme
Each enzyme has an “active site.”
This area has a unique shape. The
substance an enzyme works on is a
substrate. The substrate also has a
unique shape. The enzyme and the
substrate must fit together to work.
When the substrates binds with an
enzyme, something called ‘induced
fit’ which means the active site can
change its shape even more to bind
that substrate perfectly. It can either
break down or build up that
substrate, and we call the resulting
item, the product.
Substrate

Your healthcare provider can use a

Active
variety of enzyme and protein blood Site
tests to check for certain health Enzyme
conditions. For example, elevated
liver enzymes could be a sign of liver
Pancreas
disease.