Like any other machine, the body also needs energy to work. This energy is obtained from the food materials through metabolism. Some activating agents or catalysts called enzymes carry on the metabolic processes efficiently. Do you know what these enzymes are and what they do in our body?
An enzyme is an organic catalyst produced by a living cell. The human body literally contains hundreds of different enzymes. Many are contained within the cells, but some others, such as those used for digestive purposes, act outside cells in the gut itself. Enzymes are involved in almost every chemical reaction-taking place in the body.
Many physiological activities such as digestion, building up and breakdown of tissues, cellular respiration and muscle contraction depend on their action. The activity of an enzyme, depends on the temperature, the degree of acidity or alkalinity (pH) and the substance upon which the enzyme acts. A single enzyme molecule is capable of bringing about the required changes on hundreds of molecules of the substrate in a few seconds. All the enzymes are themselves proteins and made up on long chains of amino acids. They combine with the substrate to form an intermediate compound. This intermediate compound is an unstable complex and breaks down to yield the reaction product plus the original enzyme.
Some poisonous substances such as mercury, lead or arsenic can block enzyme action. The presence of such substances hinders the enzymes from forming intermediate complex with the substrate. Normal metabolism is thus prevented. Enzymes are not only important for our body but are also very useful in industry, medicine and analytical chemistry. They are used to convert starch into glucose and glucose into fructose. They are also used in cheese-making industry and for the production of semi synthetic penicillins. Artificial sweeteners are also produced with their help.
Enzymes are classified into six major groups: Oxidases, which bring about oxidation, transferases, which bring about group transfer; hydrolases, which speed up the process of hydrolysis; lyases that bring about group removal. Isomerases enzymes are responsible for isomerization and ligases for joining of molecules.
I know you understood about enzymes, if you need more details about Health and Other General Information Check out www.worldlistmania.com
An enzyme is an organic catalyst produced by a living cell. The human body literally contains hundreds of different enzymes. Many are contained within the cells, but some others, such as those used for digestive purposes, act outside cells in the gut itself. Enzymes are involved in almost every chemical reaction-taking place in the body.
Many physiological activities such as digestion, building up and breakdown of tissues, cellular respiration and muscle contraction depend on their action. The activity of an enzyme, depends on the temperature, the degree of acidity or alkalinity (pH) and the substance upon which the enzyme acts. A single enzyme molecule is capable of bringing about the required changes on hundreds of molecules of the substrate in a few seconds. All the enzymes are themselves proteins and made up on long chains of amino acids. They combine with the substrate to form an intermediate compound. This intermediate compound is an unstable complex and breaks down to yield the reaction product plus the original enzyme.
Some poisonous substances such as mercury, lead or arsenic can block enzyme action. The presence of such substances hinders the enzymes from forming intermediate complex with the substrate. Normal metabolism is thus prevented. Enzymes are not only important for our body but are also very useful in industry, medicine and analytical chemistry. They are used to convert starch into glucose and glucose into fructose. They are also used in cheese-making industry and for the production of semi synthetic penicillins. Artificial sweeteners are also produced with their help.
Enzymes are classified into six major groups: Oxidases, which bring about oxidation, transferases, which bring about group transfer; hydrolases, which speed up the process of hydrolysis; lyases that bring about group removal. Isomerases enzymes are responsible for isomerization and ligases for joining of molecules.
I know you understood about enzymes, if you need more details about Health and Other General Information Check out www.worldlistmania.com
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