Enzymes are tiny but very important proteins that help our body perform different chemical reactions quickly and efficiently. Without enzymes, many life processes such as digestion, respiration, and energy production would happen too slowly to support life. Each enzyme has a specific job and works with a particular substance called a substrate. In this chapter, students will learn about the structure, functions, and importance of enzymes in living organisms in an easy and understandable way.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What are enzymes?
Enzymes are special proteins that speed up chemical reactions in living organisms. They act as biological catalysts.
2. Why are enzymes important?
Enzymes help in important body functions such as digestion, respiration, and metabolism. Without enzymes, these processes would occur very slowly.
3. Define Enzyme and Co-factor
Enzyme
- An enzyme is a protein that speeds up chemical reactions in living organisms without being consumed or permanently changed.
Example:
Amylase is an enzyme that breaks down starch into sugar.
Co-factor
- A co-factor is a non-protein substance that helps an enzyme perform its function. Co-factors can be metal ions or small organic molecules.
4. Give Examples of Competitive and Non-competitive Inhibitors
1. Competitive Inhibitor
- A competitive inhibitor binds to the active site of an enzyme and competes with the substrate.
- Example:
Sulfonamides compete with PABA in bacterial enzymes, stopping bacterial growth.
2. Non-competitive Inhibitor
- A non-competitive inhibitor binds to a site other than the active site, changing the enzyme’s shape and preventing it from functioning properly.
- Example:
Cyanide binds to cytochrome oxidase, stopping cellular respiration.