Enzymes Automated Life

Enzymes are the nature's tools to automate life like automated industry of today. When Charlie Chaplin criticized the boring repeatedly pattern of human work of individuals in that time industries in his silent movies, he never thought that the specified individual work, one mission for one individual is the only means for products mass production in a satisfactory precision. The boring feelings Chaplin pitied had gone and the precise mass production has been improved with industry automation.

In biological life, Enzymes regulate a tremendous number of biochemical reactions to change their substrates into new metabolites without they themselves are changed, silently and smoothly, doing a much more bigger job( the metabolism, which involves all life manifestations) than that done in the laboratory under extremely abnormal conditions, like very high temperature and pressure. They do that under the same daily life conditions of different organisms.

Each enzyme molecule performs a precise unchanged job ( only one reaction of only one molecule of a substrate at a time) during its whole life span. This is done automatically as soon as the substrate molecule is available, enzymes neither wait for an order to work, nor they demand any specific requirements, but the normal (healthy) conditions. This is why enzymes are present in all tissues and fluids of the body.

To build enzymes so that they accord with their automated job, nature chosen protein to be their raw material, since proteins are made of amino acids which have the following features:

1-Some amino acids are water soluble and others are lipid soluble, as a result the formed enzyme can adapt different biological situations( Sugars are only water-soluble and fats are only lipid-soluble).

2-Amino acid chemical structure endows the molecule highly reactive functional groups, moreover they can be easily charged upon change in pH (A figure describes acidity of the medium, the higher its value the more is alkaline medium, and vice-versa, and it is the primary homeoststic factor affecting enzyme activity), by virtue, they can function under a wide range of biological environmental changes( Sugars and Fats can not react automatically in Biology, and they should be submitted to enzymatic reactions, otherwise they would need very long time to present an effect).

3-Physico-chemical properties of amino acids let enzymes acquire a tremendous number of spacial configuration with very tiny differences that make it fit one substrate molecule but does not fit its mirror image form.The sterio-chemistry of enzymes is the limiting factor in of securing an automated life pattern in Biology.

To reinforce the precision of this specific spacial configuration, enzymes may attach a vitamin or a mineral to add more flexibility to the dynamic nature of an enzyme molecule. Recently, it was found that enzyme can attach RNA component (nucleotides) to form RIBOZYME which regulates RNA reactions. The level of precision in sterio-chemistry of enzymes adjusts an active site for the substrate that fits it exactly like the key in the lock, or gloves and hands, so that the right glove can not fit in the left hand.

To recognize the value of enzyme in our life we may revise some attributes and effects of some enzymes, deletion of these effects, or absence of enzymes. Absence of an enzyme as an in-born error results in some hereditary disease like:

1-Defective Tyrosinase leads to Albinism. 2-Defective Galactose-1-phosphate Uridyl Transferase leads to Galactosemia. 3-Defective Phenylalanine hydroxylase leads to Phenylketoneurea (PKU). 4-Defective Hexosaminidase leads to Tay-Sachs disease.

When enzymes effect is blocked willingly or unwillingly, their deleted effects have serious impact on our life, just to name a few examples:

1-The poison cyanide inhibits cytochrome c oxidase which effectively blocks the automated cellular respiration resulting in death.
2-Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) including Aspirin act by inhibiting COX-1 and/or COX-2 that produce inflammation messenger prostaglandins, thus suppressing pain and inflammation.
3-Some Antihypertensive drugs act by inhibiting Angiotensin-converting enzyme ( ACE-inhibitors).
4-Cholesterol lowering drugs that act by inhibiting 3-hydroxyl-3- methylglutaryl coenzyme A.

We can even more appreciate the value of enzymes when we consider some of their implementations in our daily life needs, examples:
- Medicine: Enzymes are of great diagnostic value as markers of some diseases.

- Industrial applications of enzymes: # Biological detergents: Proteases for clothes stains and Amylase for dish washing. # Baking industry : Fungal algae Amylases in rolls production. Proteases in Biscuits industry. # Baby foods : Trypsin. # Brewing industry: Beer production. # Fruit juices : Clarify fruit juices. # Dairy industry : Cheese ( Roquefort, Blue-mould cheese) # Starch industry : Syrup and Glucose - Low calorie sweeteners. # Rubber industry : Foam rubber. # Paper industry : Sizing and coating papers. # Photographic industry: Recovery of Silver by dissolving gelatin.

Nature has chosen the right tools to ensure an automated pattern of life.