Meaning of Enzymes (What are they, Concept and Definition)

What are Enzymes:

The enzymes are, in the field of Biology , the proteins that are responsible for catalyzing the biochemical reactions of metabolism.The word, in this sense, is composed from the Greek roots ἐν (en), which means 'en', and ζύμη (zýme), which translates 'yeast'.

See also Yeast.

As such, the enzymes are found in every organ and every cell in the body, helping the body to produce the chemical changes necessary for all vital functions to be fulfilled.these chemical changes generated by the action of enzymes are called enzymatic reactions .

As such, enzymes act on molecules that are called substrates , which, when subjected to a transformation process through the enzymatic reaction, are now called products .Enzymes, on the other hand, are not consumed In this process, neither its chemical equilibrium is altered.

Enzymes are capable of catalyzing more than four thousand different biochemical processes, among them we can mention, for example, the process of decomposition of the food we consume to the benefit of our body, or blood clotting when we suffer a wound.

The names of the enzymes , on the other hand, are characterized by being derived from the substrate or the chemical reaction that catalyze, with the word ending in the suffix “-ase”, such as, for example, lactase, which comes from a lactose substrate.According to the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, there are six major classes of enzymes: oxidoreductases, transferases, hydrolases, liases, isomerases and ligases.

See also Chemical reaction.

On the other hand, enzymes are also used in industry to food and biofuel production, as well as in the synthesis of antibiotics or in the preparation of cleaning products.

Restriction enzyme

A restriction enzyme , also known as restriction endonuclease , is a bacterial enzyme used in genetic manipulation.The restriction enzyme, in this sense, is able to identify a characteristic sequence of nucleotides within a DNA molecule and cut the DNA at a specific point, that is , it has the ability to fragment DNA selectively.

Digestive enzymes

As digestive enzymes we call the set of enzymes that in animal organisms specifically take care of food decomposition processes.In this sense, digestive enzymes are found both in saliva and gastric juices, as in pancreatic juices and intestinal secretions.