biocatalyst
Living reaction speedup
A biocatalyst is a substance derived from living organisms that speeds up chemical reactions—typically an enzyme or whole cell used in industrial or laboratory processes.
Unlike synthetic catalysts, biocatalysts work under mild conditions and with high specificity: Biocatalysts are increasingly used in pharmaceutical manufacturing to reduce toxic byproducts.
Folded amino chain
- substrateUnderlying supporting material
- active siteEnzyme region binding substrates
- pepsinGastric protein-cleaving enzyme
- amylaseStarch-digesting enzyme
lipase · protease · ligase · transferase · hydrolase · kinase · phosphatase · dehydrogenase
Enzyme's nonprotein helper molecule
- domainArea of control
- quaternaryFourth-order or four-bonded
- subunitPart of larger entity
- cofactorEnzyme-activating compound
Fuel from organic sources
- fermentationMicrobial sugar conversion
- brewingBeverage preparation process
- detergentChemical cleaning agent
- bioremediationLiving organisms detoxify pollutants
biosensor · pharmaceutical · food processing · textile · paper industry · biotechnology
Cell's energy molecule
- catabolismMetabolic molecular dismantling
- anabolismMetabolic construction of molecules
- glycolysisGlucose metabolism producing ATP
- citric acid cycleAerobic respiration's central pathway
respiration · digestion · fermentation · beta-oxidation · biosynthesis · energy conversion · mitochondria
Speed of chemical change
- turnover numberCatalytic events per second
- Michaelis-MentenEnzyme rate equation
- activation energyMinimum energy for transformation
- inhibitionMental check on behavior
protein
Folded amino chain
- substrateUnderlying supporting material
- active siteEnzyme region binding substrates
- pepsinGastric protein-cleaving enzyme
amylase · lipase · protease · ligase · transferase · hydrolase · kinase · phosphatase · dehydrogenase · DNA polymerase
coenzyme
Enzyme's nonprotein helper molecule
- domainArea of control
- quaternaryFourth-order or four-bonded
- subunitPart of larger entity
biofuel
Fuel from organic sources
- fermentationMicrobial sugar conversion
- brewingBeverage preparation process
- detergentChemical cleaning agent
bioremediation · biosensor · pharmaceutical · food processing · textile · paper industry · biotechnology
ATP
Cell's energy molecule
- catabolismMetabolic molecular dismantling
- anabolismMetabolic construction of molecules
- glycolysisGlucose metabolism producing ATP
citric acid cycle · respiration · digestion · fermentation · beta-oxidation · biosynthesis · energy conversion · mitochondria
reaction rate
Speed of chemical change
- turnover numberCatalytic events per second
- Michaelis-MentenEnzyme rate equation
- activation energyMinimum energy for transformation