Enzymes: How they work and what
they do
Functions
 help speed up chemical reactions
 essential for respiration, digesting
food, muscle and nerve function,
among thousands of other roles.
 Each cell in the human body
contains thousands of enzymes.
 provide help with facilitating
chemical reactions within each
cell.
 they are not destroyed during the
process
o a cell can reuse each
enzyme repeatedly.
 vital to the operation and overall
health of the body.
 Proteins
o majority of enzymes Trusted
Source
o some are Ribonucleic acid
(RNA) molecules.
 RNA molecules
 translate information from DNA
and create proteins.
 help with the chemical reactions
that keep a person alive and well.
 the process of breaking down
food and drink into energy.
 speed up (catalyze) chemical
reactions in cells
o they lower the threshold
necessary to start the
intended reaction.
o substrate.
 Another substance
to bind with.
 What do enzymes do?
o Enzymes provide support
for many important
processes within the body.
 The digestive system:
o 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
o Each cell in the body
contains DNA.
o Each time a cell divides, the
cell needs to copy its DNA.
o Enzymes help in this
process by unwinding the
DNA coils.
 Liver enzymes
o The liver breaks down toxins
in the body.
o To do this, it uses a range of
enzymes the facilitate the
process of destroying the
toxins.
 Other activities enzymes help
with include:
o hormone production
o cell regulation
o creating movement to make
the muscle contract
o transporting materials
around a cell
o respiration
o signal transduction
Enzyme lock and key model
 first proposed in 1894.
 an enzyme’s active site is a
specific shape, and only the
substrate will fit into it, like a lock
and key.
 newer model, the induced-fit
model
o helps to account for
reactions between
substrates and active sites
that are not exact fits.
o the active site changes
shape as it interacts with
the substrate.
 o Once the substrate fully
locks in and in the exact
position, the catalysis can
begin. (the product)
The perfect conditions
 Enzymes can only work in certain
conditions.
 98.6-degrees Fahrenheit (F)
(37°C)
o Enzymes works best
o Body’s typical temperature.
 Enzymes work slowly.
o At lower temperatures
 Enzyme changes shape
o Or denaturing
o temperature is too high
o the environment is too acidic
or alkaline
o alters the shape of the
active site so that
substrates cannot bind to
it.
 Different enzymes tolerate
different levels of acidity.
o enzymes in the intestines
work best at around 8 pH
o enzymes in the stomach
work best at about pH 1.5
because the stomach is
much more acidic.
Cofactors
 Non-protein molecule
 Enzymes attached to function
 Ions
o inorganic molecules
o loosely bond to the enzyme
to ensure it can function.
 Coenzymes
o organic molecules that also
loosely bond with and
allow an enzyme to do its
job.
 Prosthetic Group
o When a cofactor bonds
tightly with an enzyme
Inhibition
 sometimes necessary to slow
down enzyme function.
 For instance, if an enzyme makes
too much of a product, then the
body needs a way to reduce or
stop the production.
 Competitive inhibitors
o inhibitor molecule
o blocks the active site so that
the substrate has to
compete with the inhibitor
to attach to the enzyme.
 Non-competitive inhibitors
o This molecule binds to an
enzyme somewhere other
than the active site and
reduces how effectively it
works.
 Uncompetitive inhibitors
o This inhibitor binds to the
enzyme and substrate.
o The products leave the
active site less easily,
which slows the reaction.
 Irreversible inhibitors
o This is an irreversible
inhibitor, which binds to an
enzyme and permanently
inactivates it.
Examples of specific enzymes
 Thousands of enzymes in the
human body exist to perform
around 5,000 different functions.
 Lipases
o This group of enzymes help
digest fats in the gut.
 Amylase
o In the saliva, amylase helps
change starches into
sugars.
 Maltase
o This also occurs in the
saliva, and breaks the
 sugar maltose into
glucose.
 Trypsin
o These enzymes break
proteins down into amino
acids in the small intestine.
 Lactase
o Lactase breaks lactose, the
sugar in milk, into glucose
and galactose.
 Acetylcholinesterase
o These enzymes break down
the neurotransmitter
acetylcholine in nerves
and muscles.
 Helicase
o Helicase enzymes unravel
DNA.
 DNA polymerase
o These enzymes synthesize
DNA from
deoxyribonucleotides.
 Types of enzymes
o oxidoreductases
o transferases
o hydrolases
o lyases
o ligases
o isomerases
o The body needs all of the
different types to function
properly.
Summary
 Enzymes play a large part in the
day-to-day running of the human
body.
 Enzymes work by combining with
molecules to start a chemical
reaction.
 They work best at certain pH
levels and temperatures.
 They play a vital role in the
proper functioning of the
digestive system, the nervous
system, muscles, and more.