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Enzymes: The Catalysts of Life

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Enzymes are crucial proteins that catalyze biochemical reactions, classified into six main classes: Oxidoreductases, Transferases, Hydrolases, Lyases, Isomerases, and Ligases. Each class has a unique role in metabolism and cellular processes. Amylase, a Hydrolase, is vital for starch digestion. Enzymes also have significant industrial uses and are key in molecular biology for DNA manipulation.

Enzyme Classification and Their Catalytic Roles

Enzymes are biocatalysts—proteins that accelerate chemical reactions in living organisms without being consumed in the process. They are indispensable for life, performing a vast array of functions necessary for metabolism, growth, and cellular repair. Enzymes are systematically classified into six main classes based on the reactions they catalyze: Oxidoreductases, Transferases, Hydrolases, Lyases, Isomerases, and Ligases. This classification is governed by the Enzyme Commission (EC) numbering system, which provides a detailed categorization of enzymes, including subclasses that describe the specific type of reaction they facilitate.
Close-up of a glass petri dish with bacterial colonies on agar in the laboratory, stainless steel instrument above, blurred background with equipment.

The Distinct Functions of the Six Enzyme Classes

Each of the six primary enzyme classes plays a specific role in biochemical reactions. Oxidoreductases are involved in electron transfer processes, Transferases catalyze the movement of functional groups between molecules, and Hydrolases facilitate the cleavage of bonds through the addition of water. Lyases catalyze the breaking of various chemical bonds by means other than hydrolysis and oxidation, Isomerases enable the rearrangement of atoms within a molecule to form isomers, and Ligases join two molecules together, typically using energy derived from ATP. These classes are foundational to the study of biochemistry and are critical to understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying health and disease.

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00

The six primary categories of enzymes are ______, ______, ______, ______, ______, and ______, as classified by the Enzyme Commission.

Oxidoreductases

Transferases

Hydrolases

Lyases

Isomerases

Ligases

01

Role of Oxidoreductases

Catalyze electron transfer processes in biochemical reactions.

02

Function of Transferases

Facilitate movement of functional groups between molecules.

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