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What are the properties of enzymes?
Posted March 9, 2023

Answer

The properties of enzymes can be grouped into five types: 

  1. Catalytic property
    • Enzymes have extraordinary catalytic power. A small amount of enzyme is enough to break large molecules down into smaller molecules or bring two smaller molecules together to form a larger molecule. 
    • Enzymes do not start a reaction nor do they influence the direction of the reaction. They only help in accelerating the reaction. 
    • Although enzymes affect the rate of a biochemical reaction, they remain unchanged after the reaction.
  2. Specificity
    • Enzymes are very specific in action, with one enzyme acting only on a particular substrate. 
    • Enzymes are also specific to a particular type of reaction. 
    • Enzymes exhibit different types of specificity such as Substrate, Group, Geometric, Bond, Cofactor, and Stereoscopic specificity.
  3. Reversibility
    • Most reactions that are catalyzed by enzymes are reversible. Very few are not reversible. 
    • The reversibility of a reaction depends on the cell’s needs. 
    • In some cases, the enzymes that catalyze the forward and reverse reactions may be different.
  4. Sensitivity to temperature
    • Enzymes are thermos-liable or very sensitive to heat and temperature
    • Enzyme activity is highest at optimum temperature, which is between 20°C and 30°C.  
    • Enzyme activity increases as the temperature increases but only up to a certain level. At higher temperatures of 60 -70°C enzymes denature and become completely inactive. 
    • Enzymes are inactive at very low temperatures.
  5. Specificity to pH or hydrogen ion concentration  
    • Enzymes show maximum activity at an optimum pH of 6 – 8.
    • Enzymes are specific for their pH requirement.
    • Some enzymes are active in basic pH above 7. Others are active in acidic pH below 7. Some others are active in neutral pH.