Chapter 6, Problem 24A

Summary Introduction

To write:

The enzyme that is more active in a human cell.

Introduction:

A catalyst is a substance that speeds up the activation energy required for chemical reactions. Enzymes are special proteins that speed up the rate of chemical reactions and act as biological catalysts in biological processes. Most enzymes are specific to one reaction. The enzyme is not used up by the chemical reaction.

Explanation of Solution

Enzymes are the chemical workers in a cell. The reactants that bind to the substrate are called substrates. A substrate binds to an enzyme at the active site. The active site and substratum shapes are complementary allowing them to interact in a particular way. The active site changes shape once the substrate binds to the active site and forms the enzyme-substrate complex. The enzyme-substrate complex helps to break down chemical bonds in the reactants and forms new bonds. The enzyme then releases the products.

The most active enzyme in a human cell would be the metabolic enzymes. Metabolic enzymes perform a variety of cellular functions essential to survival and homeostasis including proteolysis and digestion, cell respiration, storage of energy, transcription, and environmental response. These life-sustaining pathways are vital for growth and maintenance of cellular integrity. Metabolic enzymes comprise a broad variety of different types of proteins including carboxylases, lipoxygenases, oxidoreductases, kinases, lyases, and so on. Most enzymes are more active in a human cell at an optimum temperature of 37 °C.

Conclusion

Enzymes have an effect on many biological processes. Metabolic enzymes catalyze and control each biochemical reaction within the human body making it essential for cellular function and optimal health.