Chemistry and Methods of Enzymes

Abstract

Since each of the countless chemical reactions which take place in living cells are catalyzed by enzymes, these substances may properly be considered as the most important constituents of cells. Enzymatic reactions are, moreover, generally specific in nature, so that each cell must contain a great many enzymes. It is estimated, for example, that liver cells carry out over a thousand chemical reactions involving oxidation, hydrolysis and synthesis and that each of these reactions is catalyzed by a specific enzyme. Only a small fraction of these enzymes have thus far been isolated and studied, but new ones are constantly being discovered and the literature on enzyme chemistry is growing rapidly. In the present book the authors present a general survey of modern enzyme chemistry without describing in detail any particular enzyme or class of enzymes. The subject matter is divided into four parts. Part 1 deals with the general properties