What are some examples of enzymes?
1 Answer
Apr 29, 2015
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Enzymes are biomolecules which act as catalysts , they increase the rate of a reaction.
For example, enzymes play a key role in breaking down the food we ingest, here hydrolase enzymes play a role.
1) hydrolase enzymes : catalyse hydrolysis which is the breakage of single bonds by the addition of water.
The digestive enzymes are all very specific depending on the food they need to break down
- proteases / peptidases help break down protein in our food, they break the peptide bonds between amino acids which in turn helps breakdown proteins (amino acids are building blocks of protein)
- lipases break down lipids into fatty acids and glycerol by breaking the ester bonds
2) Transferases
catalyse the movement of one functional group from one molecule to another (it helps “ transfer ”)
3) Oxidoreductases :
catalyse (oxido ) oxidation - (reduct) reduction reactions, wherein electrons are transferred from one molecule (the reductant) to another molecule (the oxidant).
