Question

Give one example of an enzyme mechanism.

Answer 1

Enzymes:

1. An enzyme is a biological catalyst that regulates the rate of a chemical reaction without altering its own structure.
2. Within a cell, enzymes are known to catalyze all the metabolic reactions which include the digestion process, and the formation of cellular macromolecules and their precursors.
3. An enzyme could be a protein molecule or a ribozyme.
4. The enzymes react with a substrate forming a transition compound that requires low energy to breakdown. This unstable compound breaks down to form products, while the unchanged enzyme gets free to react with other molecules.
5. Only the active site of the enzyme binds to the substrate.

Example of enzyme mechanism:

1. An example of an enzyme mechanism within the body is the breakdown of protein molecules through trypsin enzymes.
2. Within the small intestine, trypsin is known to break down the proteins, thus continuing the process of digestion that began in the stomach.
3. Trypsin is found to be produced by the pancreas, where it lies in the inactive form trypsinogen.
4. The active trypsin is known to act along with two main digestive proteinases, pepsin and chymotrypsin, thus breaking down proteins into peptides and amino acids.