Characteristics of Enzymes

Characteristics of Enzymes

Introduction

In 1878, Winhelm Kohne is the first German physiologist who used the term enzymes.

Enzymes

Enzymes are protein which are globular in shape and are made up of long chain of amino acids which folds themselves to form three-dimensional structure.

Features of enzymes

·         All enzymes are protein that is made up of long chain of amino acids.

·         The rate of reaction of many enzymes is millions of time faster than that of uncatalyzed reactions.

·         Enzymes themselves are not actually used in the reaction but they only speed up the reaction.

·         Each type of enzyme is specific for the particular type of reaction.

·         Instead of whole enzyme, only a small portion of enzyme is evolved in the catalysis of the reaction.

                                        

Active site

·         The small portion of the enzyme which is the catalytic region of the enzyme is called active site. It identifies and attaches the substrate to carry out the reaction.

Activators and inhibitors

·         Activators and inhibitors are actually molecules which increase or decrease the rate of reaction respectively, according to the cell needs.

Cofactors

·         Cofactors are the bridge between enzymes and the substrate that is non protein in nature. They may be organic or non organic in nature and have important role in the activity of enzymes.

Prosthetic group

·         The organic cofactor which is tightly bounded to enzyme is called prosthetic group.

Coenzymes

·         The organic cofactor which is loosely attached to an enzyme is termed as coenzyme.

Metabolic pathway

·         The process in which one enzyme carry the product of another enzymes as a substrate (reactant) and in this way many enzymes work together in a series of specific order called metabolic pathway.