Different types of Enzymes in the human body and their functions What are enzymes and what is their function?
Enzymes are naturally occurring proteins that are found in the bodies of certain living things, including humans and other animals, and that cause chemical changes such as breaking down food in the stomach. Within Within the human body bod y, enzymes can be found in bodily fluids, such as blood, saliva, the gastric juices or the stomach and fluids in the intestines. In general, enzymes serve as catalysts for biological functions, including natural, involuntary bodily functions, such as blood clotting.
Enzymes have three main characteristics.
1. They increase the rate of a natural chemical reaction. . They They ty!i ty!ica call lly y only react with one specific substrate or reactant, and ". Enzyme activity is regulated and controlled within the cell through several different means, including regulation by inhibitors and activators There are # major classes of enzymes en zymes found in the body. The following are the names of enzymes and their functions$ 1. Ligase: This enzyme in the body re%uires &T' &T' and binds nucleotides together in the nucleic acids. It also binds sim!le sugars in !olysaccarides. . Lyase: This enzyme in the body breaks the bonds between carbon atoms or carbon nitrogen bond. ". Hydrolase: This enzyme in the body breaks large molecules into sim!ler molecules by adding a water molecule. (. Transferase: This enzyme in the body cuts a !art of one molecule and attaches it to another molecule. ). Isomerase: The atoms in a molecule are a re rearranged without changing their chemical formula. This hel!s in getting carbohydrate molecules for certain enzymatic !rocesses. #. !ido"reductase: This enzyme removes hydrogen or electrons from one molecule and donates it to another ano ther molecule. This enzyme is mainly involved in mitochondrial energy !roduction. *. #inase: This enzyme in the body attaches a !hos!hate grou! to a high energy bond. It is a very im!ortant enzyme re%uired for &T' !roduction and activation of certain enzymes. $ote%students:
In naming enzymes, the +ase- suffi is often a!!ended to the name of the substrate molecule u!on which which the enzyme reacts. /or eam!le, the enzyme sucrase
catalyzes the transformation of the sugar sucrose in to glucose and fructose. In this case, the +sucr- suffi re!resents the molecule u!on which the sucrase enzyme reacts. 0ot all enzymes are named according to this convention. &urther on' there are ( types of enzymes:
1. /ood enzymes, . igestive enzymes and ". 2etabolic enzymes. 3ee!ing the im!ortant ones 4for 5'678 I&6 !relims9 in focus, here is the list of digestive enzymes.
Important Digestive Enzymes and their functions igestive enzymes are secreted by the body that hel!s in digestion of food. The names of enzymes that hel! in digestion are$ 1. )mylase: This enzyme hel!s in breaking down carbohydrates. It is found in saliva, !ancreas and intestinal juices. . *roteases: It hel!s in digestion of !roteins. It is !resent in the stomach, !ancreatic and intestinal juices. ". Lipases: :i!ases assist in digestion of fats. It is seen in the stomach, !ancreatic juice and food fats.
#1. Amylase ;reaks down carbohydrates, starches, and sugars which are !revalent in !otatoes, fruits, vegetables, and many snack foods < lactase = breaks down lactose 4milk sugars9 < diastase = digests vegetable starch < sucrase = digests com!le sugars and starches < maltase = digests disaccharides to monosaccharides 4malt sugars9 < invertase = breaks down sucrose 4table sugar9 < glucoamylase = breaks down starch to glucose < al!haglactosidase = facilitates digestion of beans, legumes, seeds, roots, soy !roducts, and underground stems
#2. Protease ;reaks down !roteins found in meats, nuts, eggs, and cheese < !e!sin = breaks down !roteins into !e!tides < !e!tidase = breaks down small !e!tide !roteins to amino acids < try!sin = derived from animal !ancreas, breaks down !roteins
< al!ha = chymotry!sin, an animalderived enzyme, breaks down !roteins < bromelain = derived from !inea!!le, breaks down a broad s!ectrum of !roteins, has antiinflammatory !ro!erties, effective over very wide !> range < !a!ain = derived from raw !a!aya, broad range of substrates and !>, works well breaking down small and large !roteins
#3. Lipase ;reaks down fats found in most dairy !roducts, nuts, oils, and meat
