Enzymes Essay

550 Words2 Pages

An enzyme is often known as biological catalysts. It acts a substance which speeds up the rate of a chemical reaction but remains unchanged through the process. It works by lowering the activation energy (the amount of energy required to initiate a chemical change) required for a reaction. Enzymes are proteins that are vital to the body because they act as effective catalysts and play an important role within body cells. Enzymes are proteins that are folded into a complex three-dimensional shape that contains an active site where the specific substrate binds structurally and chemically. There are four main protein structures: primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary. A primary structure consists of a linear strand of amino acids in a polypeptide chain. They are bonded to one another through covalent peptide bonds. Secondary structures are in coils and folds due to the hydrogen bonds present between hydrogen and oxygen atoms near the peptide bonds. Tertiary structures take a three-dimensional form due to the interaction between amino acids functional groups and disulfide bonds. ...

More about Enzymes Essay

Open Document