Re: [DIYbio] Re: Do enzymes really need to be "frozen"?

On Sun, Mar 24, 2013 at 6:54 AM, Mega <masterstorm123@gmail.com> wrote:
> Really? But what powers them then? just the energy from room temperature?

enzymes are catalysts, meaning they simply lower the activation
energy. Whether the remaining energy is thermal or chemical (ATP)
comes after the fact. You could twist this into perspective by
thinking their 'power' input was during their synthesis, the energy
consumed to build the amino acid chain, and in all the reactions that
lead to that sequence of amino acids being generated. In actuality the
way they work is a beautiful sequence of magnetic-like push/pull
actions on electrons of the target molecule by specific atoms on the
enzyme. The push/pull of electrons is sequenced that some area of the
molecule becomes reactive (or less un-reactive). In simple cases that
reactive area is where you want the work to be done (adding a
molecule, cleaving one, pulling electrons off or pushing them on), in
more complex cases this area simply influences yet another area of the
target molecule in some way, which is where you want the work done.
Depending on the enzyme and target molecule and target operation this
sequence can continue many more times, and the sequence of
interactions would take place in both the target molecule, the enzyme,
cofactors, the local solvent shell and even the electromagnetic
potential across the wider reaction zone cross-section.

--
-Nathan

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