Enzymes and How They Work: An Introduction

All living things are kept alive by doing chemical reactions. In fact, some estimate that your body performs around 500 quadrillion reactions per second. That’s a lot!
These reactions are what keep you alive, and are done by special molecules called enzymes! So, enzymes are super important! NO enzymes, no life!
So, what are enzymes? Enzymes are PROTEINS that speed up chemical reactions to make them happen.
Here’s how they work:
The Pac-Man looking thing on the left is an enzyme. Notice that it has a little triangular region (that looks like its mouth). That is called the active site and it is where the reaction happens.
On the right we have a molecule in the shape of a triangle. It is called the SUBSTRATE. This is the molecule that will undergo a chemical reaction.
Notice that the substrate fits perfectly into the active site of the enzyme (just like a puzzle piece). Each enzyme can only work on specific substrates, to do specific chemical reactions, so we say that enzymes are specific. When the substrate enters the active site, the enzyme weakens the chemical bonds in the substrate, causing the chemical reaction to happen. The molecules that are produced by the reaction are called PRODUCTS.
The enzyme is not altered by this reaction and can be used again and again.
Although this animation showed an enzyme breaking down a substrate, there are other enzymes that do the opposite. They take substrates and join them together to make a larger product.
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Photos: freephotos.cc/animals
Music: www.bensound.com

[@muhammadbasit4871]

Thanks ❤
Your video is recommended from our teacher❤

[@BioManBiology]

Cool, I hope it was helpful! Thanks!

[@DaytonaMarieJ]

As simple as it gets! Thank you

[@BioManBiology]

You're welcome, I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@jenellzuege8062]

You made this so much easier to understand thank you so much!!!

[@BioManBiology]

Happy to hear that! Thanks!

[@johntalkington5697]

Insert obligatory “I watched this for school” here.

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I had to watch this for school-

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[@eusrasharfuddin2786]

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[@BioManBiology]

You're welcome!

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I also watched this for school

[@BioManBiology]

👍

[@Anonymous-mh5sl]

Are enzymes just in my blood and saliva or everywhere throughout the body?

[@BioManBiology]

All of your cells have many enzymes, so they are all over your body. Metabolism (the chemical reactions that make cells alive) depends heavily on enzymes!

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[@BioManBiology]

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[@RedTheJMan]

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[@mariamalafifi6286]

I watched this for school.

[@surendersingal2192]

Can we see enzym with naked eye, sir?
Thank you

[@BioManBiology]

No, enzymes are much too small to see with the naked eye.

[@michelenash6153]

Enzymes don't make reactions happen, they speed up chemical reactions to a rate that can maintain life. Physics.

[@BioManBiology]

Hi Michelle,
Yes, enzymes catalyze (speed up) chemical reactions to allow them to proceed at a rate that can maintain life. Reactions would proceed far to slowly to support life without enzymes, and some likely would not occur at all (like DNA replication, for example). All the best!

[@AgentPrine]

@@BioManBiologyif enzymes didn't exist, how much time would it take to digest your food?

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yes it is, no enzyme no life....

[@BioManBiology]

True!

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I had to watch this for school-

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me too

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