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Importance of enzymes
Enzyme nomenclature
Two systems of naming enzymes have been adopted.
a). Trivial naming
discovered it.
In trivial naming all enzyme names end in prefix in.
Examples
Pepsin (Theodor Schwann, German physiologist -1836).
Ptyalin (Anselme Payen, a French chemist- 1833).
Trypsin.
Examples
Substrates
Amylose (starch)..amylase.
Lipids....lipase.
Protein. .protease.
Carbohydrate.carbohydrase.
Lactose...lactase
Processes/Reactions
Hydrolysis.hydrolase
Reduction..reductase
Oxidation...oxidase
Mechanism
of
action
of
Enzymes
Properties of Enzymes
pH.
They are substrate specific e.g. maltase cannot digest sucrose.
They are efficient in small amounts since they are re-used in
the reactions.
They mostly take part in reversible reactions.
They regulate the rate of metabolic activities but are not used
up.
ions.
Specificity.
Enzyme inhibitors.
1. Temperature
At low temperatures, kinetic energy of enzymes and
2. pH
Enzymes work best under different pH conditions.
Some enzymes work best under alkaline
activity.
3. Enzyme specificity
A particular enzyme will only act on a particular
breakdown sucrose.
4. Substrate concentration
Assuming all other factors are constant, t low substrate
5. Enzyme concentration
An increase in enzyme concentration increases the
6. Enzyme co-factors
These are inorganic substances which activate
enzymes.
Without them , most enzymes would not function
properly.
Co- factors include mineral ions like iron,
magnesium, copper, manganese, zinc as well as
vitamins.
They are used again and again since like enzymes,
they do not get used up during the reactions.
7. Co-enzymes
These are organic molecules that are required by
8. Enzyme inhibitors
These are chemical substances which slow down
Competitive
Non- competitive