Properties of Enzymes

Enzymes

Enzymes are the biological catalyst that increases the rate of chemical reaction, both biosynthetic and degradative, occuring in living cells.


Properties of Enzymes:-

1. Enzymes are protein in nature.
2. Enzymes are soluble in water.
3. Enzymes have high Molecular weight.
4. Enzymes are highly specific in nature.
5. Enzymes lowers the activation energy of the reaction.
6. Enzymes can be denatured. When proteins are heated or subjected to extremely high temperature, high salt concentrations, or organic solvents, the non-covalent bonds breaks and the native structure of enzyme is changed to random coil.
7. Enzymes acts as buffer. Due to presence of both free amino group and free carboxyl group, they behave both as Acids & Bases.
8. Enzymes carries charge. The charge depends on the pH of the solution. At low pH, amino acids are fully protonated and there is a positive charge And at a higher pH, there is a negative charge.
9. Enzymes have isoelectric pH.                                                   (Isoelectric pH:- pH at which the net charge on protein equals to zero - so they do not move in an electric field.)
10. Enzymes gives maximum absorption at 280 nm.
11. Enzymes increases the rate of reaction at the phenomenal scale.
12. Enzymes do not produce undesirable by-products.