Enzymes are proteins made up of hundreds of thousands of amino acids that help to speed up any biological reaction. Enzymes are catalysts in a variety of biological activities, including digestion and cell energy production.
Enzymes are used to speed up numerous chemical reactions in a variety of industrial operations, including pharmaceutical institutes, the food industry, and even textile production. We shall learn about enzymes, their uses, and their functioning in this article.
Enzymes
Enzymes are chemicals found in living organisms that serve as catalysts. They aid in the regulation of a chemical reaction’s pace without being altered in the process. Biochemical reactions are catalysed by enzymes, which are biological polymers. Enzymes play a crucial role in the human body’s functions. We can’t even imagine surviving without enzymes!
- Enzymes are nitrogenous organic compounds created by living organisms such as plants and animals, and they are made up of a long chain of one or more amino acids linked together by amide or peptide bonds.
- They are proteins with a high molecular mass that catalyse natural processes in animals and plants. Polypeptides are another name for them.
Structure of Enzyme
- They have linear chains of amino acids in three-dimensional structures and are made up of multiple polypeptide chains, also known as amino acids that have been folded and coiled numerous times.
- The amino acid sequence determines the enzyme’s catalytic activity.
- They have different sites; the active site of an enzyme is made up of the catalytic and binding sites; just a small percentage of an enzyme’s structure participates in catalysis and is positioned around the binding sites.
Function of Enzyme
Apart from speeding up basic biological operations including nutrient absorption, energy production in cells, digestion, excretion, respiration, and reproduction, enzymes also play a role in a variety of additional activities:
- Enzymes accelerate and change the state of a chemical reaction due to their biological catalytic nature.
- Enzymes have a role in a variety of metabolic processes within the cell, which boosts metabolic activity in order to keep the cell alive.
- Enzymes can be used to make environmentally friendly goods that consume less energy, water, and raw resources and produce less waste.
- Enzymes are important in photosynthesis because they regulate temperature and control carbon fixation reactions.
- Herbivores’ stomachs include cellulose enzymes that help break down plant cellulose into smaller, more easily absorbable components for energy production, simplifying the metabolic process.
Application of Enzymes
Enzymes have a role as a biological catalyst in a variety of bio-reaction processes in the human body, including the production of energy in cells through the breakdown of big starch molecules, proteins, lipids, and other macromolecules, hormone production, digestion, and so on. Enzymes are also utilised as catalysts in a variety of industrial processes, as described below:
Food Processing Industries
Enzymes are primarily used in the food sector to process raw materials for the manufacturing of a variety of products, including dairy, bread, meat, beer, and wine. Enzymes are utilised in the creation of alcoholic beverages and some food products, in addition to their everyday use. Enzymes are also employed to improve the quality of food products, such as the food’s quality, colour, flavour, and taste, among other things.
Amylase and glucoamylase, for example, are used to improve food quality; peroxidase is used to add colour and nutritional value to food; while lipase, xylanase, and glucose oxidase are used to enhance flavour.
Biotechnology enzymes, which are widely utilised in the food business, can be obtained directly from plant and animal sources, as well as through microbial fermentation.
Pharmaceutical Industries
The widespread usage of enzymes as medications has resulted from the invasion of new technology and the specific properties of enzymes. These medications have an unparalleled potential and advantage over other small molecule therapies since they specifically bind to targets.
Enzymes are used to treat a wide range of deadly and infectious disorders, including allergies, heart attacks, viral and bacterial infections, inflammation, skin ulcers, leukaemia, thrombosis, plague forms, and many more.
Textile Processing and Fabric Finishing Industry
In the textile and fabric finishing industry, enzymes are critical for eliminating contaminants and creating a stonewashed look. They are also used to break down starch and cellulose into fermentable sugars in the manufacturing of ethanol.
Other Function of Enzymes
- Enzymes are used in the manufacturing and enhancement of about 400 to 500 common consumer and commercial items.
- Enzymes may be utilised to make a variety of environmentally friendly products, which helps to keep the environment clean.
- Enzymes are also used in the laundry business to remove stains and extend the life of clothes, the paper industry to recycle paper and remove ink from paper products, and the FMCG industry to make dishwashing soaps and detergents.
- Apart from these common uses, enzymes are also utilised in the production of a wide range of foods, household goods, cleaning products, biofuels and other alternative fuels for automobiles, beverage processing, and even the textile sector and electricity producing facilities.
Conclusion
As a result, it’s correct to conclude that enzymes are the most important protein in the human body for metabolism. They are known as biological catalysts because they speed up the rate of a chemical process in our bodies. An enzyme-substrate complex is formed when an enzyme binds to its substrate.
One of the most essential characteristics of enzymes is that they are unaffected by the reactions they catalyse. This article will cover all of the functions of enzymes, as well as their classification, examples, and many other topics.