How are enzymes essential to the body's homeostasis?

Answer 1

Firstly, enzymes are globular proteins that act as biological catalysts (substances that regulate/accelerate the rate of biochemical reactions but aren't used up or changed in those specific reactions). As my professor explained it to my class, think of enzymes as chemical traffic cops that keep our metabolic pathways flowing. Enzymes can't force chemical reactions to occur between molecules that wouldn't otherwise react, but they can increase the speed of the reaction. With lack of enzymes, biochemical reactions occur so slowly that they actually do not occur at all. (Confusing, I know!)

In some cases, enzymes are purely proteins, and proteins are essential resources for the body, especially in maintaining homeostasis. Furthermore, enzymes are chemically specific. Although some enzymes maintain only a single chemical reaction, there are othes that exhibit a broader specificity in which they can bind with similar molecules and regulate a small group of related reactions. It's the presence of specific enzymes that determines which actions will be speeded up and which reactions will occur.

As you can see, enzymes are very crucial to helping maintain a healthy, balanced body. If a single enzyme were to mutate or malfunction, you could be at risk for genetic diseases and so forth.

I hope this has helped answer your question!

Answer 2

Each enzyme helps break down certain foods so the body can use the resulting chemicals to meet its needs. Lactase breaks down milk products so the calcium can be used by the bones and the teeth to maintain their level of health and the water can be used on the cellular level as all cells require water to perform their duties.

So it is the duty of all enzymes in the body to break down the food we eat into the molecular level the body needs to maintain our good health so long as we provide the type of food that it needs to do its job right.