The human body is made up of many types of cells, tissues, and other complex organs. In order to function properly, our body releases certain chemicals to speed up biological processes such as respiration, digestion, excretion, and a few other metabolic functions to maintain good health. Thus, enzymes are essential for all living organisms that regulate all biological processes.
Many protein enzymes have the ability to perform various processes. Metabolic processes and other chemical reactions in a cell are made into a set of enzymes needed to sustain life. The first phase of the metabolic process relies on enzymes, which react with a molecule and are called the substrate. Enzymes convert substrates into different molecules and are called products.
Enzyme control has become an important factor in clinical diagnosis because of its role in maintaining healthy processes. The macromolecular components of all enzymes contain proteins, with the exception of a class of RNA catalysts called ribozymes. The name ribozyme is derived from the ribonucleic acid enzyme. Many ribozyme molecules are ribonucleic acid molecules, which cause reactions in one of their bonds or among other RNA.
Enzymes are found in all tissues and body fluids. Catalysis of all reactions that occur in metabolic pathways is performed by intracellular enzymes. Enzymes in plasma membranes regulate catalysis in cells as a response to cellular signals and enzymes in the circulatory system that regulate blood clotting. Many of the most important health processes are established in the activities of enzymes.
Enzymes are a series of amino acids, which create a three-dimensional structure. The amino acid sequence determines the formation, which also determines the catalytic activity of the enzyme. When heated, the enzyme structure changes, leading to loss of enzyme activity, which is often associated with temperature.
Compared to its substrates, the enzymes are usually large in varying sizes, ranging from 62 amino acid residues to an average of 2,500 residues found in fatty acid synthase. Only a small portion of the structure is involved in catalysis and is located close to the binding areas. The catalytic domain and the binding domain form an active enzyme site. There are a small number of ribozymes that act as RNA-based biological catalysts. It reacts complexly with proteins.
Previously, enzymes were given names based on who received them. With further research, the classification has become more consistent.
According to the International Union of Biochemists (I U B), enzymes are divided into six active classes and are classified based on the type of reaction in which they are used to form a catalyze. Six types of enzymes are hydrolases, oxidoreductases, lyases, transferases, ligases, and isomerases.
Below is a breakdown of the enzymes discussed in detail:
An enzyme inhibitor is a molecule that disrupts the normal reaction process between an enzyme and a substrate.
Enzyme inhibitors can be competitive or non-competitive depending on their mechanism of action
Enzyme inhibitors inhibit the formation of an enzyme-substrate complex and thus inhibit product formation. Enzyme inhibition may be reversible or non-reversible depending on the specific effect of the inhibitor used.
Based on their function, enzymes can be divided into six types. These types are as follows: Oxidoreductases, Transferases, Hydrolases, Lyases, Ligases, and Isomerases. Oxidoreductases activate oxidation-reduction by facilitating the transfer of electrons. The electrons transmitted are usually hydrogen atoms or ion hydrides. Transfers, on the other hand, enzymes simplify group transfer processes where a molecule is a donor while another molecule acts as a receptor.
The lactose molecule binds only to the lactase enzyme as it has a binding substrate specific to that substrate and is called an active site. When a substrate binds to an enzyme, a reaction occurs when the old bonds disintegrate and the formation of new bonds occurs thus forming a new molecule. The new molecule is a product and is made possible by locking and the main pathway of enzymes.