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Contrary to the generally accepted belief, an enzyme is not necessarily a protein molecule (although an overwhelming amount of them are). An enzyme is simply a biological catalyst; it speeds up the rates of reaction for a specific chemical reaction in a cell. It does this by attaching a substrate (molecule it acts upon) into its highly specific active site. In this active site, certain environmental factors (pH, temperature, space etc) will significantly lower activation energy of the reaction, this will therefore speed up the reaction. Since enzymes are catalysts, they are not consumed by the reactions they catalyze.
Some enzymes operate independently; their presence is enough for the reaction to occur. Other enzymes however must be phosphorylated: They are coupled with the highly exothermic hydrolysis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and this energy provides the necessary activation energy for the reaction to take place.
Most enzymes are made up of proteins; however, some types of RNA can act as enzymes (see spliceosomes and RNAi). Spliceosomes are present in eukaryotic nuclei, they "sort" the introns and exons of pre-mRNA and account for the ability of one gene to encode for several different proteins. RNAi is a newly discovered phenomenon in which a cell will destroy mRNA in its cytoplasm if a complementary strand of RNA is introduced (RNAi stands for RNA interference, the complementary strand is referred to as interfering RNA because it binds to the mRNA and effectively interferes with ribosomal activity). This new RNAi discovery shows high hopes for the treatment of unimmunizable and drug resistant viruses.
What else can I help you with?
The binding together of an enzyme and a substrate forms a what?
enzyme-substrate complex
What to enzymes do in an enzyme-substrate?
in an enzyme-substrate complex, the enzyme acts on the substrate .
Does enzyme has proteins?
An enzyme is a protein
How effective is enzyme replacement therapy in treating enzyme deficiencies?
Enzyme replacement therapy is generally effective in treating enzyme deficiencies by providing the missing enzyme to the body. It can help improve symptoms and quality of life for patients with enzyme deficiencies.
What enzyme is responsible for fat digestion?
the lipase enzyme :)
What is an angiotensin converting enzyme?
An angiotensin converting enzyme is an enzyme which catalyzes the creation of angiotensin.
What is the active site for an enzyme?
The place where the substrate and the enzyme meet to allow the enzyme to function.
What is it called when and enzyme and substrate come together?
When an enzyme and substrate come together, it is called the enzyme-substrate complex. This complex is a temporary intermediate state in which the enzyme binds to the substrate to catalyze a chemical reaction.
What switchs on enzyme activity while what can switch off or reduce enzyme activity?
Enzyme activators like cofactors or substrates can switch on enzyme activity by binding to the enzyme and promoting its function. Conversely, inhibitors can switch off or reduce enzyme activity by binding to the enzyme and preventing its normal function.
What enzyme speeds up a chemical reaction is known as?
All enzyme's are catalysts for certain chemical reactions. Each enzyme will only work with a certain substrate one analogy being that the enzyme is a key and the substrate is a keyhole, and each enzyme has a unique enzyme.
Is fructase an enzyme?
There is no enzyme by the name "fructase." However, an enzyme called fructosidase catalyzes the hydrolysis of fructose-containing compounds.
If z is a substrate for either enzyme a or enzyme b what is the michaelis constant of enzyme a?
.2.90 BBC
