Environmental pollution is
growing more and
more due to
the indiscriminate and frequent deliberate release of hazardous, harmful
1.
ENZYMES IN BLOOD
CLOTTING
Enzymes are vitally important in preventing excessive blood clotting and reducing the
tendency for platelets and red blood cells to 'clog'. Because of enzymes
part in removing metabolic waste and improving circulation proteases for example;
Trypsin and chymotrypsin can be used in
fibrinolysis, this a process that
dissolves blood clots. One use is in the case of thrombosis, this is when blot clots
form in damaged blood vessels, if
these clots are carried to an small artery and may become blocked a heart attack or stroke can be caused. This can be
treated by enzymes such as trypsin
and protease. Digestion of the insoluble fibrin clot takes place and because the enzymes are proteins this results
in a conversion to amino acids,
consequently freeing the trapped blood cells and eliminating the clot. This
process is called fibrinolysis. Opposite to the prevention of clotting; the enzyme protease can be used as a
debriding agent they are used to
clean the wound and accelerate the healing process.
Enzymes can also be used in drug manufacture where the synthesis of
drugs is difficult therefore enzymes are used to perform the .chemical procedure. Enzymes
can also be used to aid digestion where they are used to supplement amylase,
lipase and protease produced mainly by the
pancreas. An example
is lactose intolerant people where they require actose as their bodies
are not producing it. Mold Penicillium notatum The last point in enzyme application in
medicine I will talk about is the production of antibiotics in particular penicillin. The major pharmaceutical;
products produced using
enzyme technology are the antibiotic, semi-synthetic penicillins.
Antibiotics are chemical substances produced by micro organisms which are effective. In
dilute solution in preventing the spread of other micro organisms. Most inhibit growth
rather than kill the micro organism on which
they act. One of the best known antibiotics is penicillin -discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928. It was
found that it acts on growing bacteria, killing them and preventing their
growth. It is believed to compete
with paraaminobenzoic acid for the active site of an enzyme. In this way they do not kill the bacteria but simply
stop them from reproducing.
Although it has been very successful since its discovery in 1928 and has had an enormous
influence on the control of disease, antibiotics have one serious drawback
this is that due to the development of resistance towards antibiotics by
pathogens there is a continuing need to find new types. Each time a new one is used
resistant strains of micro organisms arise which further drugs have to be
developed. In my opinion new developed drugs should therefore be used with much more restraint and discrimination and more time should be
used searching for natural antibiotics
to the development of new strains using genetic engineering.
In this term paper I have outlined and explained only a small number of the uses of
enzymes in medicine however there are many more successfully developed uses. Examples
include, in the treatment of genetic defects, the development of artificial' organ
function, neoplasm, anti-inflammatory reagents, drug manufacture, the removal of choral
components
and to aid digestion.
In the 20th century the use of enzymes in pharmaceutical and industry is limited
to a low number of very successful applications. However it is the very success of such
applications that continues to help pave the way for new developments and it is
clear that there is no shortage of ideas. After having an insight to the application of enzymes in
the medical and pharmaceutical problems I
have realized that it is an exciting and promising field that is ripe for
development in the near future.
2.
THE ROLES OF ENZYMES IN GENETICS
So far only around
3000, enzymes are known in the human body, but many thousands more which have not
yet been discovered are felt to be responsible for keeping us alive. Their
importance is enormous. They represent our life energy! What is there origin? How far
can we go to trace this enzymatic life force activity for a single person? This book reviews
the
role of enzymes in the origin of life and their specialization through evolution.
The genes passed parents and present along the chromosomes determine the actual
coding. The DNA molecules within the chromosomes constitute the actual memory of the
cell. Within a single cell there are roughly 100000 genes, the majority of with
code for enzymes. Each gene, whether structural, receptor, etc, is associates with an
enzyme action, and is predetermined to perform a specific function.
3. THE ROLES OF ENZYMES
IN REPRODUCTION (MITOSIS)
With the help of
enzymes the numerous cells reproduce by division ever second to form new cells with
exactly the same genetic composition. These will replace older ones. At the same time, many older cells
are dying. All of required labor for the
renewal and elimination is performed by the enzymes encoded in those genes.
Although the limited number of other
cells do not actually divided to forms new once, such as some brains cells and
the ova within the ovaries, they are maintained in a state of good health by our enzymes.
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