Enzymes

Natures Chemical Workforce

What is an Enzyme?
What is a Protein?

 A protein, also known as a polypeptide, is a complex chain of

organic compounds called Amino Acids.
 Proteins provide structure, function, and regulation of both
animal and plant cells.

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Enzymes are Proteins

 Enzymes are the

proteins that
provide function to
the cell.
 Enzymes are
catalysts: they
speed up chemical
reactions.

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Enzymes and Reactions
 Enzymes work on specific compounds.
 The structure of an enzyme makes it fit with only certain
compounds, like a lock and key.

•The substrate is the

compound that the enzyme
is working with.

•The active site is the point

on the enzyme that binds to
the substrate.

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Why do we need Enzymes?
 Chemical reactions are how cells function.
 Chemical reactions take time. They are usually very slow.
 For cells to work properly, many chemical reactions must
happen in a short time.
 Enzymes catalyze: they speed up the chemical reactions (by
lowering the activation energy).
 Enzymes make reactions happen up to millions of times
faster.
What affects Enzyme function?

pH
Every enzyme has a small optimal pH range.
Higher or lower pH disrupts chemical bonds,
changing the shape of the enzyme.

Temperature
Environments hotter than the enzyme’s
optimal temperature cause the enzyme to
denature, or break down.

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Major types of Enzymes

Metabolic, Digestive, and Food

Metabolic Enzymes
 Metabolic Enzymes are responsible for catalyzing
biochemical reactions required to maintain life. They exist
throughout the entire body.

 There are two categories of metabolic enzymes:

 Catabolic – Enzymes that break down large molecules, either
providing raw building materials for new compounds or
producing pure waste while releasing energy.

 Anabolic – Enzymes that construct complex molecules from

smaller pieces, such as proteins from amino acids.
Digestive Enzymes

 Digestive Enzymes are

catabolic enzymes responsible
for breaking down food into
nutrients and energy.
 They occur primarily in
mouth, stomach, and small
intestine.
 They are secreted by salivary
glands, glands in the stomach,
glands in the small intestine,
and the pancreas – the largest
producer of digestive enzymes
in the body.
Treatment with Digestive Enzymes
 Enzyme deficiency in the digestive tract can lead to many
problems.
 Common symptoms that are treated with enzyme
supplements:
 Flatulence
 Heartburn
 Diarrhea
 Intestinal spasms
 Inflammation
 Constipation
 Acid reflux
 Peptic ulcers
 Indigestion

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Food Enzymes
 Food Enzymes come from eating raw foods. They are
responsible for starting and assisting the digestion
process.
 Food Enzymes benefit
the body by lowering
strain on the body’s
own enzyme store,
leaving the body’s
natural enzymes
available for later
work.

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Supplements
 Raw foods contain large amounts of enzymes, but heating
food even the slightest amount destroys virtually all
enzymes contained.
 Because most food eaten today is cooked, people develop
a serious deficit, causing the body to work overtime to
produce enough enzymes to keep up with the things we
eat and drink (McDonalds takes a lot of work to digest).
 Enzyme deficits can be remedied with enzymes in pill or
tablet form, available in many over-the-counter diet
supplements (e.g., Co-enzyme Q10).
Applications of Enzymes

How do we use enzymes today?

Industrial Applications
 Brewing – catabolic enzymes from barley produce sugar,
amino acids, and peptides that are used by yeast in
fermentation.
 Paper Industry – cellulases smooth paper fibers and
promote ink removal.
 Detergent – lipases remove fatty and oily stains.
 Rubber – catalase breaks peroxide into oxygen to convert
latex to foam.
 Molecular Biology – restriction endonuclease, DNA ligase,
and polymerases are used in genetic engineering,
pharmacology, agriculture, and medicine.
Conclusion
Enzymes in a Nutshell

Enzymes are required to sustain life.

 Enzymes are valuable to chemists as tools to speed
reactions and manipulate chemicals.
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