Enzyme term was coined in 1881 by the German physiologist Wilhelm Kühne. The term comes from the German word "Enzym," which was derived from the Modern Greek word "enzymos" where "En" (ἐν) means "in" and "Zymē" (ζύμη) means "leaven" or "fermentation". So, when we put it together, "enzyme" essentially means "in leaven" or "internal leavens". They are the biocatalysts that provide an alternative path, with lower activation energy to reactants for faster conversion into products. The three-dimensional structure of the enzyme and interactions of its constituents (amino acids) with the substrate leads to the conversion of reactants at milder temperatures and pH to products. Every enzyme consists of a region - an active site - where specific amino acids not only firmly hold the substrate molecule but also is responsible for product formation.
Some of the enzyme's properties are provided below:
➢ Enzyme specificity: The specific operationality of enzymes, only for a few substrates enhanced the importance of enzymes.
➢ Optimum pH: Every enzyme exhibits a certain pH at which enzymatic activity is maximum, and such pH is termed Optimum pH.
➢ Optimum Temperature: Every enzyme possesses a certain temperature at which the enzymatic activity is maximum and such temperature is termed as Optimum Temperature.
➢ pH & Temperature stability: The narrow stability range of enzymes (with variation in pH & temperature) affects their operability.
➢ Reusability: They are soluble in water and hence, they cannot be reused.