Pre-Final Enzymes

Enzyme Functions and Specificity

• The primary function of most enzymes is to increase the rate of chemical reactions in the body, allowing them to occur efficiently and accurately.
• A substrate in an enzyme-catalyzed reaction is the molecule that an enzyme acts upon, binding to the active site of the enzyme to facilitate the chemical reaction.
• Absolute specificity in enzymes refers to the ability of an enzyme to catalyze only one specific reaction or bind to only one specific substrate, ensuring high fidelity in biochemical reactions.
• Stereochemical specificity in enzymes refers to the ability of an enzyme to distinguish between different stereoisomers (molecules with the same molecular formula and bond order, but differing in three-dimensional structure) of a substrate, allowing it to selectively catalyze reactions involving specific stereoisomers.
• The enzyme lactate dehydrogenase exhibits stereochemical specificity, as it can differentiate between the D-lactate and L-lactate stereoisomers of lactic acid, only catalyzing the conversion of L-lactate to pyruvate.