HSS 2305 Lecture 6: HSS2305 Chapter III Part 4

• School: University of Ottawa
• Department: Health Sciences
• Course: HSS 2305
• Professor: Francois Cossette

Document Summary

Proteins that act as catalysts of biochemical reactions. As catalysts, enzymes can only accelerate the rate at which a chemical reaction proceeds. In fact, they are mediators of metabolism, responsible for virtually every reaction that occurs in cells. Without enzymes, metabolic reactions would proceed slowly as to be imperceptible. Even though they are proteins, many of them are conjugated proteins: They contain non-protein components called cofactors which can be of two types: organic (coenzymes) among which are vitamins (cofactors are important since they carry out activities for which amino acids are not suited) Highly specific to the reactant they can bind to and the type of reaction they catalyze: the reactant bound to an enzyme is called a substrate. Not altered irreversibly during a reaction: ea(cid:272)h e(cid:374)zy(cid:373)e (cid:373)ole(cid:272)ule"s parti(cid:272)ipatio(cid:374) (cid:272)a(cid:374) (cid:271)e repeated. Generally, do not participate as a reactant to the reaction but as a catalyst.