Biocatalysis

Enzymes and ribozymes catalyze the biochemistry of life. Enzymes are polypeptides of amino acids, and ribozymes are polyribonucleotides. More than 5000 enzymes orchestrate the catalysis of biochemical reactions in cells and organisms. Catalysis by enzymes and ribozymes involves the lowering of activation energies for biochemical reactions. Amino acid side chains of proteins are not sufficient catalysts for many reactions, and more than 30 coenzymes and cofactors assist in enzymatic catalysis. Ribozymes catalyze RNA processing, including self-splicing of mRNA. The ribosome, the most prominent ribozyme, catalyzes peptide bond formation from aminoacyl-tRNAs to the N-terminus of growing polypeptide chains under the direction of mature mRNA.