Enzymes

Other names: Enzymes

Harm score: 2 (Derivatives of natural substances)

Enzymes, also known as Enzymes, are biological catalysts that speed up chemical reactions in living organisms. These protein molecules are essential to the functioning of all living systems, from the simplest life forms such as bacteria to complex organisms such as humans. Their main function is to convert one biochemical substance into another, and without the enzyme this conversion would be much slower, often so slow that it would be virtually impossible. Enzymes thus make life as we know it possible.

Although enzymes originally function primarily in living organisms, they are becoming more widely used in industry due to their unique properties. For example, they are often used in the food industry. There, enzymes are important in cheese production, where they help to curdle milk, but also in brewing and winemaking, where they speed up fermentation. In baking, enzymes improve the quality of bread or other baked goods because they help to break down starch into sugars, which yeasts are then able to 'eat' to produce substances that give bread its characteristic flavour and aroma. Enzymes are also used in detergents and cleaning products because of the ability of some enzymes to break down proteins, fats or starch into smaller, more easily removable molecules. This allows for more effective stain removal even at lower temperatures. Enzymes have also found applications in biotechnology, medicine, agriculture and research.