Enzymes essential for human life on earth
Experts have discovered how important enzymes are
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Tuesday, 11, Nov 2008 10:00
Without enzymes biological reactions which sustain human life would take up to 2.3 billion years to occur, experts have discovered.
In a report published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science today scientists claim their latest research has revealed that enzymes' power as catalysts allows biological reactions, such as the building of DNA, to occur within milliseconds.
"Without catalysts, there would be no life at all, from microbes to humans," Richard Wolfenden, from the University of North Carolina said.
In their report the authors looked at the specific reaction that catalysed the biosynthesis of haemoglobin and chlorophyll.
"This enzyme is essential for both plant and animal life on the planet," the authors added.
"What we're defining here is what evolution had to overcome, that the enzyme is surmounting a tremendous obstacle, a reaction half-life of 2.3 billion years."
Scientists claim the study will help further biological research on the early evolution of micro-organisms and future development of rational drugs.
"We've only begun to understand how to speed up reactions with chemical catalysts, and no one has even come within shouting distance of producing, or predicting the magnitude of, their catalytic power," Mr Wolfenden added.