Enzymes

Enzymes can be defined as biological

polymers that catalyze biochemical
reactions
catalyst that regulates the rate at which
What is chemical reactions proceed in
living organisms without itself being
altered in the process
ENZYME? enhances the reactions which occur in the
body during various life processes.
are found in all tissues and fluids of the
body
 a linear chain of amino acids, which give

Structure rise to a three-dimensional structure.

The sequence of amino acids specifies
the structure, which in turn identifies the

of catalytic activity of the enzyme.

enzymes are typically large with varying
sizes, ranging from 62 amino acid
residues to an average of 2500 residues
ENZYME found in fatty acid synthase.
Classification of ENZYME
Oxidoreductase
catalyze oxidation/reduction reactions by transferring
electrons, hydrogens, or oxygens from a reductant
molecule to an oxidant molecule. e.g. pyruvate
dehydrogenase, catalyzing the oxidation of pyruvate to
acetyl coenzyme A
Transferases
catalyze transferring of the chemical group from one to
another compound.
catalyze the transfer of various chemical groups (other than
hydrogen) from one compound to another.
 Hydrolase
catalyze the hydrolysis of a bond
a class of hydrolytic enzymes that are commonly used as
biochemical catalysts which utilize water as a hydroxyl
group donor during the substrate breakdown
 Lyases
catalyze the breakage of bonds without catalysis
catalyze the elimination of groups from the substrates by
processes other than hydrolysis leaving double bonds
 Isomerases
catalyze the formation of an isomer of a compound.
catalyze reactions involving a structural rearrangement of a
molecule
 Ligases
catalyze the association of two molecules
capable of catalyzing the reaction of joining two large
molecules by establishing a new chemical bond
 Cofactors
non-proteinous substances that associate with enzymes
essential for the functioning of an enzyme
There are three kinds of cofactors present in enzymes:
Prosthetic groups: These are cofactors tightly bound to an enzyme at
all times. FAD (flavin adenine dinucleotide) is a prosthetic group present
in many enzymes.
Coenzyme: A coenzyme binds to an enzyme only during catalysis. At all
other times, it is detached from the enzyme. NAD is a common
coenzyme.
Metal ions: For the catalysis of certain enzymes, a metal ion is required
at the active site to form coordinate bonds. Zinc is a metal ion cofactor
used by a number of enzymes.
The End