Question

How do enzymes affect humans?

Answer 1

Enzymes:

1. Enzymes are made of protein.
2. Enzymes act as catalysts in biological reactions.
3. All biological reactions in any organism take place in the presence of enzymes.

Effects of enzymes on humans:

1. In the human body, many essential chemical reactions take place.
2. That is required to make the system work properly.
3. These reactions are very slow without enzymes.
4. Enzymes can increase the rate of reaction 100 to a thousand times.
5. Enzymes provide an active site to bind the substrate molecules and lower the activation energy.
6. In the absence of enzymes, serious diseases can be caused.
7. For example: in the absence of enzyme homogentisate 1,2-dioxygenase, in some people, alkaptonuria disease is caused.
8. Enzymes are secreted by exocrine glands.
9. For example for the digestion of food pancreas secretes digestive enzymes that perform their action on food substances like protein and carbohydrates.
10. Enzymes provide support for many important processes within the body

DNA replication:

1. The synthesis of new DNA copies is called DNA replication. Many enzymes take participate in this process.
2. For separating both DNA strands helicase enzyme is required.
3. For attaching RNA primers on both strands RNA primase is required.
4. For attaching nucleotides to DNA, DNA polymerase is required.
5. DNA ligase is required to join the DNA fragments.

Liver function:

1. Alanine transaminase: This enzyme is produced by hepatocyte cells. This converts alanine into pyruvate.
2. Aspartate transaminase: This is found in the liver, heart, skeletal muscle, kidneys, brain, and red blood cells. It is also responsible for the metabolism of glutamate and aspartate.
3. Alkaline transferase: This enzyme is found in the liver, heart, and muscles. It also converts alanine into pyruvate.
4. Gamma-glutamyl transferase: This enzyme is responsible for glutamate formation by transferring the gamma glutamic group from glutathione to peptides or amino acids.

Hormone production:

1. For the synthesis of hormones in the cells of glands, a certain enzyme is required.
2. For example, the thyroxine hormone is synthesized in the presence of thyroid oxidase and thyroid peroxidase.

Signal transmission:

1. Various enzymes are involved in cell signaling.
2. Some are protein kinases, protein phosphatases, GTPases, and nucleotide cyclases.