Discussion Question: Summarize the key points from the enzymes review. How do these points help in understanding enzyme function and regulation?
one of the key points was "Enzymes are reusable. Enzymes are not reactants and are not used up during the reaction. Once an enzyme binds to a substrate and catalyzes the reaction, the enzyme is released, unchanged, and can be used for another reaction. This means that for each reaction, there does not need to be a 1:1 ratio between enzyme and substrate molecules.", and this led to a community conversation in the comments, which I think broadened my understanding of enzymes more.. Prairie started it with
" So, an actual field question! But this section got me wondering.
I take lactase to assist in the breakdown of the few milk products I consume because it appears I'm lactose intolerant. I'm instructed to take one (or two, if one doesn't seem to be enough over time) every time I consume dairy.
Why do I need to continue to take these over time? Enzymes are reusable, right? They're not reactants. They should stick around after managing my lactose intake. So why do I need to keep taking these things every time I consume dairy? Isn't there a point after prolonged use where there should be a sufficient buildup of lactase enzymes present in the gut to address this issue long term?
Is my immune system doing away with the lactase for some reason? Do I have really garbage gut pH? What's going on here?" and I found this to be a really interesting topic, because she had a point- Enzymes are reusable. and the comments in reply to this all had very good guesses, yes, but none of them seemed quite right. so I did my own deep-dive of sorts, as the biology nerd I am. and I have an answer. in short, Your need to take lactase supplements is simply because your body isn’t producing enough of it on its own, and this deficiency doesn’t get naturally corrected over time. The lactase you take with dairy works locally in the gut to break down the lactose you're consuming, but it doesn’t stay around long enough to "build up" a permanent solution. So, it's less about your immune system or gut pH and more about your body’s natural lactase production, which remains insufficient for many adults with lactose intolerance.
If you do find that you need to take more lactase over time (i.e., you need two pills instead of one), it could simply be because your sensitivity to lactose may change over time, or your gut may be producing even less lactase naturally.
thanks for coming to my ted talk rofl