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AAT Bioquest

What are the characteristics of enzymes?

Posted January 22, 2024


Answer

Enzymes have these key characteristics: 

  • They are proteins with a specific sequence of amino acids that fold upon themselves, forming a specific globular structure
  • Increase the rate of chemical reactions by lowering the activation energy of the reaction 
  • Remain unchanged after catalyzing a reaction 
  • Can be used repeated for similar reactions due to the fact that they remain unchanged 
  • Are specific in their actions and catalyze only specific chemical reactions due to the complementary fit between the enzyme's active site and the substrate
  • The presence of an enzyme in a cell does not interfere with chemical reactions other than its own because it is specific to its reaction
  • Are required in minute amounts to speed up chemical reactions, with a typical enzyme being able to catalyze about 100 to 10,000 substrates into products a second 
  • Are affected by temperature with peak efficiency at a specific temperature
  • Are affected by pH with peak efficiency within a specific pH range
  • Can get denatured and lose their structure in extreme high temperatures or extreme pH
  • Their catalytic activity can be inhibited by adding certain substances called inhibitors 
Additional resources

Cooperativity and flexibility in enzyme evolution

Enzymes

Amplite® Fluorimetric Coenzyme A Quantitation Kit *Green Fluorescence*