Enzymes are organic catalysts produced by living organisms that perform complex chemical reactions involved in life processes. They are proteins that act as catalysts, remaining unchanged at the end of the reactions. Enzymes function best within a certain temperature and pH range, and their activity can be affected by other substances. They are classified according to the reactions they catalyze and have molecular weights ranging from 13,000 to 840,000. Many enzymes require non-protein cofactors called coenzymes to function and some vitamins serve as coenzymes. Enzymes are used therapeutically as digestants and to dissolve blood clots, and industrially in fermentation and cheese production.

1. Enzymes
BY
Dr. G Shiva Kumar
Professor
GITAM Hyderabad, India.

3. Enzymes
• Enzymes are organic catalysts produced in the
body by living organisms.
• They perform many complex chemical
reactions that make up life processes.
• Enzymes are lifeless and when isolated, they
still exert their characteristic catalytic effect.
• Their chemical composition varies, and they
do show several common properties.
• They are colloids, soluble in water and dilute
alcohol but are precipitated by concentrated
alcohol.

4. • Most enzymes act best at temperatures
between 35 and 40°C; temperatures above
65°C, especially in the presence of moisture,
destroy them, whereas their activity is
negligible at 0°C. Certain heavy metals,
formaldehyde, and free iodine retard the
enzymes activity.
• Their activity is markedly affected by the pH of
the medium in which they act or by the
presence of other substances in this medium.
• They are highly selective in their action.

5. Classification
• The enzymes are proteins having molecular
weight from about 13,000 to 8,40,000.
• At present they are divided according to their
action by a complex system established by the
Commission on Enzymes of the International
Union of Biochemistry.
• Six major classes are recognized; each has 4 to
13 subclasses, and each enzyme is assigned a
systematic code number (B.C.) composed of 4
digits.
• The major classes are given in table

7. Coenzymes
• Enzymes are found in combination with inorganic or organic
substances that have an important part in the catalytic action.
• If these are nonprotein organic compounds, they are known as
coenzymes.
• If they are inorganic ions, they are referred to as activators.
• Coenzymes are integral components of a large number of enzyme
systems.
• Several vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, nicotinic acid) have a
coenzymatic function.
• Enzymes are obtained from plant and animal cells and many have
been purified.
• They are used as therapeutic agents and as controlling factors in
certain chemical reactions in industry.
• Pepsin, pancreatin, and papain are used therapeutically as
digestants. Hyaluronidase facilitates the diffusion of injected fluids.
Streptokinase and streptodornase dissolve clotted blood and
purulent accumulations.
• Zymase and rennin are used in the fermentation and cheese
industries; and penicillinase inactivates the various penicillins.

8. Properties
1. Enzymes are sensitive to heat and are denatured by
excess heat or cold, i.e. their active site becomes
permanently warped, thus the enzyme is unable to
form an enzyme substrate complex. This is what
happens when you fry an egg, the egg white
(augmentin, a type of protein, not an enzyme), is
denatured.
2. Enzymes are created in cells but are capable of
functioning out side of the cell. This allows the
enzymes to be immobilized, without killing them.
3. Enzymes are sensitive to pH, the rate at which they
can conduct reaction is dependent upon the pH of
where the reaction is taking place, for example,
pepsin in the stomach has an optimum pH of about 2,
whereas salivary amylase has an optimum pH of
about 7.

9. 4. Enzymes are reusable and some enzymes are
capable of catalysing many hundreds of
thousands of reactions, for example, catalase
working on hydrogen peroxide, try putting some
liver into hydrogen peroxide.
5. Enzymes will only catalyse one reaction, for
example, invertase will only produce glucose
and fructose, when a glucose solution is passed
over beads of enzyme.
6. Enzymes are capable of working in reverse, this
act as a cut off point for the amount of product
being produced. If there are excess reactants,
the reaction will keep going and be reversed, so
that there is no overload or build up of product.

10. Thank You