I don't remember them being called 'builder' & 'breaker' enzymes, when I where a lad
lots of the general theory in Metawraiths first link still applies, though
I share Plonking's curiosity as to what WNA needs to know?
A definition?
- enzymes are proteins which act as catalysts for chemical reactions. all are originally of biological origin, some have recently been produced by the use of genetically modified micro-organisms. They work by lowering the activation energy for the reaction, but are, themselves, unchanged after the process.
-Builder enzymes catalyse constructive reactions, breaker enzymes catalyse destructive reactions.
Examples?
- Breaker enzymes are used to make glucose syrup from starch, the so called 'amylase' enzymes chop up the long starch molecule into smaller pieces.
- Breaker enzymes called 'restriction enzymes' are used in DNA sequencing to chop the DNA strand into smaller pieces, for analysis.
- Builder enzymes are used in the PCR technique, which 'multiplies' DNA from extremely small samples
there is a small animation in this link -
http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/exhi.../genes/142.asp
- although it's mainly about DNA, there are other mentions of enzymes in some of the links off the page.