The discovery of enzymes was credited to: ___________?
Show answer Hide answer
Answer: B. Anselme Payen
Explanation
French chemist Anselme Payen is credited with discovering the very first enzyme, named diastase, in 1833. His pioneering extraction of this active plant component from germinating barley transformed early biochemical science. This monumental discovery proved that complex organic catalysts could be isolated from living biological cells. The term enzyme was coined later, derived from Greek roots meaning in yeast, reflecting early fermentation studies. Early chemists initially debated whether fermentation required living cells or specific chemical catalysts. Subsequent research isolated crystalline urease, confirming that many enzymes are globular proteins.
Historical discoveries in enzymology laid the groundwork for modern molecular biology and drug development. Understanding enzyme history helps students appreciate how scientific consensus evolves through empirical experimentation. Industrial enzyme production relies heavily on foundational principles established by early biochemistry pioneers. Jons Jacob Berzelius was a prominent chemist who proposed important concepts regarding catalysis but did not discover enzymes. Walter Bradford Cannon was an American physiologist known for describing homeostasis and the fight-or-flight response. None of these is incorrect because Anselme Payen correctly identifies the credited discoverer of diastase.
Related questions
Q1. At rest, human respiratory movements occur at a steady rate of _________ cycles per minute?
Show answer Hide answer
Answer: B. 15-20
Healthy resting human adults maintain a steady breathing rate that falls within fifteen to twenty cycles per minute. This consistent respiratory frequency ensures adequate oxygen intake and carbon dioxide elimination wit...
Q2. Double fertilization constitutes a characteristic trait of____________?
Show answer Hide answer
Answer: D. Angiosperms
Double fertilization constitutes a unique reproductive process characteristic of flowering plants known as angiosperms. One sperm cell fertilizes the egg to form a zygote, while another fuses with polar nuclei to form en...
Q3. The enteron found in coelenterates functions as___________?
Show answer Hide answer
Answer: D. all of these
In coelenterates, the enteron or gastrovascular cavity serves multiple vital physiological roles simultaneously. It functions as a digestive cavity for extracellular breakdown of captured food items by enzymatic secretio...
Q4. The specific enzyme contained within human saliva is_____________?
Show answer Hide answer
Answer: C. ptyalin
Human saliva contains the specialized digestive enzyme ptyalin, also widely known as salivary amylase. This enzyme initiates the chemical breakdown of complex starches into simpler sugars right inside the oral cavity. Pt...
Q5. An enzyme is defined as_____________?
Show answer Hide answer
Answer: A. bio catalyst
An enzyme functions as a biological catalyst that accelerates biochemical reactions without being consumed in the process. By lowering activation energy barriers, enzymes make metabolic reactions proceed fast enough to s...
Q6. Biochemical catalysts __________________ the activation energy barrier of a chemical reaction?
Show answer Hide answer
Answer: B. Decreases
Biochemical catalysts increase reaction rates by lowering the activation energy barrier required for a reaction to proceed. This reduction allows a greater proportion of reactant molecules to possess sufficient energy to...