do you know how enzymes work?

Question

if you do, could you please enlighten me?

please and thank you.

Answer 1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enzyme#Biological_function

Answer 2

How Are Enzymes Produced?
Activity and Stability of Enzymes?
How Do Enzymes Function?

Enzymes are "biological catalysts." "Biological" means the substance in question is produced or is derived from some living organism. "Catalyst" denotes a substance that has the ability to increase the rate of a chemical reaction, and is not changed or destroyed by the chemical reaction that it accelerates.

Generally speaking, catalysts are specific in nature as to the type of reaction they can catalyze. Enzymes, as a subclass of catalysts, are very specific in nature. Each enzyme can act to catalyze only very select chemical reactions and only with very select substances. An enzyme has been described as a "key" which can "unlock" complex compounds. An enzyme, as the key, must have a certain structure or multi-dimensional shape that matches a specific section of the "substrate" (a substrate is the compound or substance which undergoes the change). Once these two components come together, certain chemical bonds within the substrate molecule change much as a lock is released, and just like the key in this illustration, the enzyme is free to execute its duty once again.

Answer 3

They are made up of proteins and are able to either break bigger pieces of things to smaller pieces or able to join 2 or more smaller pieces of things to a bigger piece by providing active site to allow the substrates to bind.

Their effect can be enhanced with a non-protein called the coenzymes. Coenzymes are used up in the reactions in which they assist.

Another effect that enhances the effect of enzyme is called the cofactor. They are required by an enzyme to catalyze a certain reaction.

Enzyme's action can also be inhibited or slow down by inhibitors. There are three types of inhibitors known as the competitive, non-competitive and uncompetitive inhibitor. The competitive inhibitor would bind to the active site of the enzyme to lower the affinity of the substrate to bind to the enzyme. The non-competitive inhibitor would bind to the inactive site of the enzyme to cause the active of the enzyme to change its shape and the substrates now cannot bind to the enzyme. Uncompetitive inhibitor would bind to the inactive site of the enzyme only after a substrate has successfully bind onto the active site of the enzyme. It would then change the active site of the enzyme to not allow further substrate to bind on to the active site because of the change in shape for the active site.

Inhibitors can be permanent or temporary depending on the nature of the inhibitor. If it can be broken down, then the effect is temporary.

Answer 4

the break down molecules into smaller substances
eg from maltose to glucose

Answer 5

They break down proteins.