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What Speeds Up Chemical Reactions in Living Things?

Life would be impossible without enzymes. Enzymes are molecules found in the body that speed up chemical reactions. Living organisms contain all sorts of chemicals that react with other chemicals, breaking down and releasing energy. Most living organisms carry out most of the chemical reactions needed to satisfy multiple bodily functions without enzymes, though more slowly. But for some crucial metabolic functions, the chemical reactions move too slowly to sustain life.

  1. Enzyme Characteristics

    • Organic enzymes are usually proteins, which are basic building blocks of life. They are designed to create chemical reactions in very specific kinds of chemicals. Also, organisms can develop and use different enzymes over time. Unlike chemicals that can change after a chemical reaction, enzymes remain the same after each chemical reaction, greatly increasing their usefulness.

    Enzyme Production

    • The human body produces enzymes in living cells which make up the body. Cells can produce an enormous array of enzymes; as many as 3,000. The cell contains genes, which are instructions that tell the cell to produce enzymes. Even one missing enzyme can have a disastrous effect on the cell.

    Protein and Cofactor

    • In their most simplistic forms, enzymes consist of a protein chain and one or more cofactors. The cofactors are nonprotein substances, usually made from vitamins. However, some inorganic cofactors come from metal ions, which are charged molecules.The protein part is called the apoenzyme. The apoenzyme has an inactive part called the proenzyme or the zymogen, which contains several extra amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. Sometimes, the protein and the cofactor are loosely bound to each other and only come together during the chemical reaction. Other times, the cofactor and protein share an electron, causing them to form a firm bond. The cofactor either changes the geometric shape of the protein or actually plays a direct role in the chemical reaction.

    Function

    • Enzymes break molecules down and also put them back together. With anabolism, enzymes create new cells, maintain body tissues and store energy for later. With catabolism, enzymes break down cells to release energy.

      Enzymes also play a major role in metabolism, the sum of all the processes that occur within the body that turn food into energy. The digestive system needs enzymes to break down proteins to create amino acids, transform fats into fatty acids and transform carbohydrates into simple sugars.

    Classification

    • When scientists name an enzyme, they take the molecule that the enzyme acts on and add an --ase to the end of the molecule's name. For example, the enzyme that catalyzes sucrose is called sucrase. This allows scientists to easily name and identify the vast variety of enzymes.

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