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Enzymes refer to the proteins composed of hundreds and thousands of amino acids which accelerate any kind of biochemical reaction. Enzymes act as catalysts in various biochemical reactions namely digestion, production of energy in cells, etc. Thus enzymes are utilized in many different industrial processes viz. pharmaceutical institutes, food industry, and even in textile processing to accelerate various chemical reactions. In this article, we will understand what enzymes are, their applications, and their functions.
| Table of Content |
Key Terms:- Enzymes, Proteins, Catalysts, Process of digestion, ATP, absorption of nutrients, production of energy in the cells.
What are Enzymes?
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Enzymes are basically Proteins with molecular weight ranging between 2000 to more than one million Dalton, composed of hundreds and thousands of amino acids. The word enzyme was first coined in the year 1978 by German Scientist Wilhelm Kuhne.
Enzymes
Enzymes that act on molecules are called substrates and these substrates are further converted into products. Emil Fischer’s Lock and Key Model proposes complementary structural features to be present between enzyme and substrate, with the active site being pre-shaped to fit the substrate. The substrate in turn can fit in the complementary site on the enzyme.
| Topics Related to Enzymes | ||
|---|---|---|
| Lipid Peroxidation | Proteolytic Enzyme | Enzymes Properties |
| Vitamin B12 | Peptide Bond | Fats and Oils |
They act as catalysts in biochemical reactions viz. production of energy in cells, synthesis of hormones, the process of digestion, and so on. There are six different types of enzymes namely:
- Lyases,
- Ligases,
- Isomerases,
- Hydrolases,
- Transferases, and
- Oxidoreductases
These enzymes play a crucial role in various bodily functions including digestion, absorption of nutrients, breathing, reproduction, excretion, and many more.
Process of Digestion
The above diagram represents how digestive enzymes participate in the process of digestion for breaking complex components of food into a simpler form.
Below is a tabular representation of functions executed by various types of enzymes:
| Class No. | Class name | Type of reaction catalyzed |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Oxidoreductases | Oxidation-reduction reactions (transfer of electrons) |
| 2. | Transferases | Transfer of groups |
| 3. | Hydrolases | Hydrolytic reactions, which includes the transfer of functional groups to water |
| 4. | Lyases | Addition or removal of certain groups in order to form double bonds |
| 5. | Isomerases | Transfer of various groups within molecules in order to yield isomeric forms of the element |
| 6. | Ligases | Condensation of two molecules which are coupled through the process of ATP hydrolysis |
There are many enzymes that require cofactors for catalytic activity. These cofactors may be complex organic molecules called coenzymes or maybe metal ions such as Fe2+, Zn2+, Mn2+, etc. A prosthetic group is generated when a coenzyme or metal ion is tightly bound with enzyme protein through a covalent bond.
Functions of Enzymes
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Apart from accelerating usual body functions namely, absorption of nutrients, production of energy in the cells, digestion, excretion, breathing, reproduction, etc, enzymes are involved in a host of other functions as well:
- Because of their biological catalyst nature, enzymes accelerate and change the state of a chemical reaction.
- Enzymes are involved in various metabolic processes within the cell which in turn increases metabolic activities to sustain life.
- Environment-friendly products can be produced using enzymes that use less energy, water, and raw materials for production and generate less waste.
- Enzymes play a crucial role in photosynthesis by regulating the temperature and controlling the reactions of carbon fixation.
- Cellulose enzymes present in the stomach of herbivores help to break down the plant cellulose into smaller and easily absorbable nutrients for the production of energy to simplify the metabolic process.
Working of Enzymes
Application of Enzymes
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Enzymes work as a biological catalyst in various bio-reaction processes in the human body namely the production of energy in the cells by the breakdown of large starch molecules, proteins, fats, etc, the production of hormones, digestion, etc. Apart from this, enzymes are also used as catalysts in different industrial processes as discussed below:
- Food Processing Industry
Enzymes are mainly used in the food industry for processing raw materials for the production of numerous products viz. dairy products, bakery products, meat products, beer, and wine. Apart from this regular use, enzymes are used in the production of alcoholic beverages and certain food products. Other than production, enzymes are also used to improve the quality of food products, viz. quality of the food, color, flavor, taste, etc.
For instance, α-Amylase and glucoamylase are used to improve the quality of food, peroxidase is used to add color and nutritional quality to food, while lipase, xylanase, and glucose oxidase are used to improve flavor.
Biotechnology enzymes which are frequently used in the food industry are extracted directly from plant and animal resources and are also available from microbial fermentation.
Enzymes used in food industry
- Pharmaceutical Industry
The invasion of new technologies and unique characteristics of enzymes has led to the massive use of enzymes as drugs. Since these drugs specifically bind to targets, thus they have an incomparable potential and advantage over other ordinary small molecular drugs.
Because of this unique feature, enzymes are used in the treatment of various fatal and other infectious diseases including allergies, heart attack, viral and bacterial infections, inflammation, skin ulcers, leukemia, thrombosis, plague formations, and many more.
- Textile Processing and Fabric Finishing Industry
Enzymes play a crucial role in removing impurities and providing a stonewashed effect in the textile and fabric finishing industry. In addition, they are also used in ethanol production for breaking down starch and cellulose into fermentable sugars.
Advantages of using enzymes in the textile industry
- Other applications of enzymes:
- Enzymes have extensive use in the production and improvement of nearly 400 to 500 everyday consumer and commercial products.
- Enzymes can be used to produce various environmentally friendly products which in turn help to sustain a clean environment.
- Enzymes have also technical applications in laundries to remove stains and increase the life of fabrics, in the paper industry to recycle paper and remove ink from paper products, and in the FMCG sector to produce dishwashing soaps and detergents.
- Apart from these usual applications, enzymes are also used to produce a variety of foods products, household goods, cleaning products, biofuels, and other fuels for automobiles, processing of beverages, and even in the textile industry and energy generation plants.
Facts about Enzymes
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- Though enzymes act as catalysts to speed up any biochemical reaction, the structure or composition of the enzyme itself remains unaltered during this process.
- Enzymes are deactivated or destroyed at any temperature below the boiling point of water.
- Enzymes accelerate the rate of any biochemical reaction in either direction.
- Enzymes are mostly soluble in water, dilute alcohol, NaCl, and dilute glycerol.
- Enzymes are mostly active at temperatures ranging from 25 degrees Celsius to 45 degrees Celsius.
- Enzymes act as colloids due to their high molecular weight.
Coenzymes
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Coenzymes that are derived from vitamins are involved in catalysis transiently and carry specific functional groups. The protein component in the cofactor which requires an enzyme is known as apoenzyme. The given table represents a few coenzymes, along with their precursor Vitamins and their role.
| Coenzyme | Precursor vitamin | Role in the catalytic reaction |
|---|---|---|
| Biocytin | Biotin (vitamin B7) | Transfer of CO2 |
| Coenzyme B12 (5'-adenosylcobalamin) | Vitamin B12 | Transfer of an alkyl group |
| Flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) | Riboflavin (vitamin B2) | Transfer of electrons |
| Coenzyme A | Pantothenic acid (vitamin B3) | Transfer of acyl and alkyl group |
| Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) | Niacin (vitamin B5) | Transfer of hydride (:H- ) |
| Pyridoxal phosphate | Pyridoxine (vitamin B6) | Transfer of amino group |
| Thiamine pyrophosphate | Thiamine (vitamin B1) | Transfer of aldehydes |
| Tetrahydrofolate | Folic acid (vitamin B9) | Transfer of one carbon group |
| Topics Related to Biotechnology and its applications | ||
|---|---|---|
| Human insulin | Transgenic Animals | Plasma membrane |
| Genetically modified organisms | Complex Carbohydrates | Microbiology |
| Saturated and Unsaturated Fats | Polysaccharides | MCQ’s on biomolecules |
| Plasmid Definition | Biotechnology mcqs | Biotechnology Agriculture |
Things to Remember
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- Enzymes are biocatalysts that accelerate the rate of a biochemical reaction.
- Enzymes are made up of 1000 amino acids which define the chemical property and shape of various enzymes.
- Various biochemical reactions which are accelerated due to enzymes include digestion, excretion, breathing, reproduction to name a few.
- Because of their catalytic nature, enzymes are utilized in various industrial applications viz. textile industry, food processing industry, pharmaceutical industry, etc.
- All enzymes are made up of proteins but the reverse is not true.
Sample Questions
Ques. How do enzymes work? (2 marks)
Ans. Enzymes bind with reactant molecules and hold them in such a way that the bond-breaking and bond-forming chemical processes are accelerated due to the lowering of the activation energy involved in the reaction.
Ques. What are the factors that affect enzyme activity? (3 marks)
Ans. Though enzymes can act as a biological catalyst, few factors can influence the velocity of enzyme reaction, which are listed below:
- Temperature
- Hydrogen Ion Concentration (pH)
- Substrate concentration
- Inhibitors
Ques. What are the functions of digestive enzymes? (2 marks)
Ans. Digestive enzymes help break complex and large components of food into simpler and smaller forms. For instance, salivary amylase which is produced from saliva help in the digestion of starch while pepsin produced from gastric glands helps in protein digestion.
Ques. What are ligase enzymes used for? (1 mark)
Ans. Ligase enzymes are widely used in molecular biology laboratories for repairing, replication, and recombination of DNA.
Ques. Which enzymes are used in Textile Processing and Fabric Finishing Industry? (2 marks)
Ans. Amylases, Catalase, and Laccase are the enzymes that are primarily used in the textile processing and the fabric industry to remove starch, bleach textiles, degrade excess hydrogen peroxide, and degrade lignin.
Ques. Why enzymes are used in the pharmaceutical industry? (3 marks)
Ans. Enzymes namely cysteine proteinases, hyaluronidase, urokinase, pegademase, urokinase, and glucocerebrosidase are some of the popular enzymes used in the pharmaceutical industry for their special feature of getting bind with their targets specifically and with high affinity leading to conversion of multiple target molecules to the desired products by catalytic action which increases the rate of chemical interconversions and metabolic processes.
Ques. What are the important properties of enzymes? (3 marks)
Ans. Enzymes possess the following important properties:
- Catalytic Property
- Specificity Property
- Reversibility Property
- Sensitivity to temperature, heat, and pH
Ques. What are apo-enzymes? (2 marks)
Ans. Apo-enzyme is the protein component of an enzyme that functions only in presence of a co-factor and participates in enzymatic activities related to a specific enzyme.
Ques. What is a Lock and Key hypothesis? (1 mark)
Ans. Lock and Key is the most accepted theory of enzyme action which states that an enzyme-substrate complex is formed when the substrate fits exactly into the active site of an enzyme.
Ques. What are the types of enzymes which participate in biochemical reactions of the body? (5 marks)
Ans. Below is list of the enzymes which accelerate all biochemical reactions in the body:
- Oxidoreductases
- Transferases
- Hydrolases
- Lyases
- Isomerases
- Ligases
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