This discussion will let explore the role of enzymes in metabolism by looking at what can happen if an enzyme is unable to do its job--either breaking down a large molecule or building a bigger on--to really see that the word "metabolism" goes far beyond weight control.
The following are some metabolic disorders--health problems that can occur due to faulty metabolism, that is, some chemical reaction in the cell is not happening correctly. Since all chemical reactions that take place in our cells are helped (speeded up) by enzymes, see if you can identify the link between a specific enzyme and the disorder listed.
SELECT ONE OF THE FOLLOWING METABOLIC DISORDERS TO RESEARCH. Use the UMUC library, Google, or information in popular science or medical magazines to answer the questions below.
Mitochondrial disorders
Phenylketonuria
Lesch-Nyhan syndrome
Celiac Disease
PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION ABOUT THE DISORDER FOR YOUR CLASSMATES.
- Give a brief explanation of the disorder: What are some of the affects of the disorder on those afflicted with it?
- What enzyme(s) could you identify that are associated with this disorder, and how are they involved?
- Why is it so serious?
- How is it treated?
- Is there a cure for the disorder?