chem stories

Enzymes are structured protein compounds which function as a catalyst and is known as bio-catalyst. Enzymes act as catalysts that catalyze chemical reactions that occur in biological systems.

In performing its role as a bio-catalyst in the body, how the enzyme is influenced by several factors, one of which is the degree of acidity or better known as the pH, this is because the enzyme is only willing and able to work at certain pH conditions. A pH conditions where the enzyme can work with the highest activity as may be named with the optimum pH.

In contrast at a certain pH of the enzyme at all is no longer active or even damaged. This can be explained * for us to know that enzymes are molecules of protein, the protein molecule stability could be affected by the level of acidity of the environment, in conditions of extreme acidity of the protein molecules from the enzyme will be damaged.
Hence, in an effort to maintain the cells occur in order to keep the optimum pH.

Cells can maintain pH chemically by using buffers. Buffers are molecules that easily interconvert between acidic and basic forms, donating or accepting protons as conditions change.

Two important biological buffer systems are the dihydrogen phosphate system and the carbonic acid system.

The phosphate buffer system operates in the internal fluid of all cells. This buffer system consists of dihydrogen phosphate ions (H2PO4-) as hydrogen-ion donor (acid) and hydrogen phosphate ions (HPO42-) as hydrogen-ion acceptor (base). These two ions are in equilibrium with each other as indicated by the chemical equation below.
H2PO4(aq) + H (aq) ----> H(PO4)2(aq)

Cells must constantly maintain their pH in order to function properly. In animals, for example, the maintainence of blood pH is crucial for life. A slightly acidic pH (6.95) would result in coma and death. A slightly more basic pH (7.7) would result in convulsions and muscle spasms. As another example, the pH of cellular organelles such as lysosomes (around 5) is lower than the pH of the cytoplasm (around 7.2). Lysosomes contain enzymes that function optimally in an acidic environment. Such an acidic environment, however, would be detrimental to biological processes in the cytoplasm. Each must maintain the appropriate pH.