Enzymes - how many do humans have?

[RyanJ]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm curiuos: does anyone know how many enzymes humans have and what they do?

 

This has just been one of those curiosities for a while, I have heared of quie a few but I'm shure there are many, many more

 

Also, are most of these common to different species? I would imagine that some would be the same but others would not be there and ones that humans don't have instead

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones

[dttom]

I believe that human being just know very little about themselves, now, we can just recognize a little parts of enzymes, and there are still many many unknown enzymes existed in our bodies. Also, because of this reason, we have the motivation to explore more.

[RyanJ]

I actually forgot I posted this thread, there are about 200 known according to a book I have and new ones are being found all the time!

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones

[Helix]

I actually forgot I posted this thread' date=' there are about 200 known according to a book I have and new ones are being found all the time!

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones[/quote']

 

 

Well I don't doubt that you read that but only 200 seems a bit small. We, humans, have around 18,000 genes and out of that only 200 fall in the enzyme category? The other 17,800 fall into the normal protein one? Wow that sounds unlikely, where did you see this exactly?

[RyanJ]

Well I don't doubt that you read that but only 200 seems a bit small. We, humans, have around 18,000 genes and out of that only 200 fall in the enzyme category? The other 17,800 fall into the normal protein one? Wow that sounds unlikely, where did you see this exactly?

 

I'm not shure, it was an old encyclopedia so its probably out of date anyway.

 

Actually a lot of the genertic information makes up "Garbage" - Its probably something we do not yet unserstand... it must have some use

 

Also, maybe it was refering to a special group of enzymes? Like I said it was an old book with an obscure reference so its probably wrong but I'd actualy like to know a rough number - do you have any ideas?

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones

[ecoli]

There are also enzymes that humans ingest, and do not make themselves. It's called enzyme therapy. http://www.wholehealthmd.com/refshelf/substances_view/1,1525,693,00.html

[RyanJ]

There are also enzymes that humans ingest, and do not make themselves. It's called enzyme therapy. [url']http://www.wholehealthmd.com/refshelf/substances_view/1,1525,693,00.html[/url]

 

Sweet, never heared of that one before! I know that plants and other animals like Cows (Cows have celulase (sp?) which allows them to break down cellulose) - people do not have this one and so can't digest plant cellulose

 

Thanks for the information!

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones

[Mokele]

Actually, no animal that I'm aware of has cellulase, which is why herbivores must have large, complex guts: in order to house the bacteria that *do* produce cellulase.

[RyanJ]

Actually, no animal that I'm aware of has cellulase, which is why herbivores must have large, complex guts: in order to house the bacteria that *do* produce cellulase.

 

Oh, its the bacteria that produde cellulase? Explains why cows have 4 stomachs then! (I think they have 4 )

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones

[Mokele]

Well, not strictly 4, but they do have a very complex stomach that's subdivided into several distinct functional units.

[Helix]

I'm not shure' date=' it was an old encyclopedia so its probably out of date anyway.

 

Actually a lot of the genertic information makes up "Garbage" - Its probably something we do not yet unserstand... it must have some use

 

Also, maybe it was refering to a special group of enzymes? Like I said it was an old book with an obscure reference so its probably wrong but I'd actualy like to know a rough number - do you have any ideas?

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones[/quote']

 

 

You are right about the "garbage" part though I wouldn't phrase it that way -- that 98 or so % definitely has a job -- but it isn't to make proteins.

 

Still, 200 is small. I'd put it in the 1100-2000 range though that is a very rough guestimate based on how many bodily process we have (that I know of obviously). This is an interesting question, I would really like to know the answer.

[RyanJ]

You are right about the "garbage" part though I wouldn't phrase it that way -- that 98 or so % definitely has a job -- but it isn't to make proteins.

 

Still' date=' 200 is small. I'd put it in the 1100-2000 range though that is a very rough guestimate based on how many bodily process we have (that I know of obviously). This is an interesting question, I would really like to know the answer.[/quote']

 

Well, ster asking by biology teacher he says there are possible millions of different ones, there are about 8,000 groups in which they fall. he showed my a list and it was huge, it took 22 pages in a book to list them an explain them and appartently more are being found all the tiem

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones

[Helix]

Wow possbily millions? Well up until recently the axiom in genetics was "one gene, one protein". If there are possibly millions of enzymes alone, then this isn't true. That figure must be newer, probably coming into common knowledge after the one gene one protein bubble was burst.

 

Anyway, good job, it's nice to know how many of those little guys I have working away in me. It's weird we see people as being relatively small (physically) compared to, say, a skyscraper or an elephant, but think of how massive we are on a molecular scale. I'm the size of a universe...even SlimFast couldn't help that

[RyanJ]

Wow possbily millions? Well up until recently the axiom in genetics was "one gene' date=' one protein". If there are possibly [i']millions[/i] of enzymes alone, then this isn't true. That figure must be newer, probably coming into common knowledge after the one gene one protein bubble was burst.

 

Anyway, good job, it's nice to know how many of those little guys I have working away in me. It's weird we see people as being relatively small (physically) compared to, say, a skyscraper or an elephant, but think of how massive we are on a molecular scale. I'm the size of a universe...even SlimFast couldn't help that

 

But as I said that covers all life on Earth. Don't forget also that humans don't only break down proteins, there are other molecules that need to be broken down also

 

There are also enzymes that brak down poisons in your blood and the like - when you thin about it considering the size of a single DNA molecule and all the different forms of DNA on the Earth there is no surprise at this number although its much larger than I thought it would be

 

Its hard to imagin but without these little proteins therwe would be no life at all, reactions would occur so slowly or not at all, that life would progress at an immensly slow rate or not at all.

 

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones

[Helix]

 

Its hard to imagin but without these little proteins therwe would be no life at all' date=' reactions would occur so slowly or not at all, that life would progress at an immensly slow rate or not at all.

 

[/quote']

 

There would be no life; enzymes are the class of proteins that handle inter- and intra- cellular reactions cleaving and contorting different compunds into useful substances in the body.

[RyanJ]

There would be no life; enzymes are the class of proteins that handle inter- and intra- cellular reactions cleaving and contorting different compunds into useful substances in the body.

 

Yup, I agree. We'd have a hard time digesting things if it were not for these little proteins... its also why extreme heat and cold are so dangerous to humans.

 

Speaking from my first point ther eit is a common missconception that its the acid (Hydrochloric) in your stomach that breaks down the food (Mostly from younger kids) when infact its used as a primer for the hydrolytic(sp?) enzymes which are secreted in an unactive state and also to kill any bad bacteria or anyhting else that may try to stray into the wrong place.

 

Note: I am not saying that you people did not know that but just thought I'd point it out incase there any younger readers here too

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones