![]() ![]() They solved this problem by pickling vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables. Because of that, the sailors would develop scurvy, a vitamin C deficiency disease, which was often fatal. ![]() So, you might be wondering, how does all this relate to the 15th century voyages? At that time, sailors didn't have access to fresh produce containing vitamin C, a coenzyme essential for collagen synthesis. Some enzymes cannot catalyze reactions on their own and require cofactors or coenzymes in order to catalyze their reaction. Whereas this one, transfers part of one substrate, onto another. For instance, this enzyme transfigures a single substrate into a new shape. There are numerous other ways that enzymes function. ![]() The opposite of this, is the anabolic enzyme, which takes two substrates and joins them together to make a larger product. This is an example of a catabolic enzyme because it took a single substrate and broke it to form multiple products. The enzyme, however, has a lower affinity for the products so it releases them and returns to its original shape, ready to repeat the same process. This transition state facilitates the reaction and converts the reactants into products. When the correct substrates enter the active site, the enzyme changes its shape to attain a higher affinity configuration. The part of their structure which interacts with the molecules they catalyze, is called the active site, which has affinity for only certain substrates and won't bind with others. So, how do enzymes actually work? Most enzymes are proteins. Enzymes, working as a catalyst, provide an alternate reaction pathway, with a lower activation energy. This height represents the activation energy, which is the minimum amount of energy needed for the reaction to proceed. If you plotted a graph of the energy needed for an uncatalyzed biological reaction, it would look something like this. What is a catalyst? It is a substance that enables a reaction to occur faster, using less energy. European explorers had adequate knowledge, skills and equipment, but why didn't they reach the New World until the end of the 15th century? You'll be surprised to learn that the answer to this question is related to the small biological molecules called enzymes, that act as catalysts. ![]()
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