Question

How can you summarize what you've learned this semester about the enzyme carbonic anhydrase and the equation it catalyzes? Instructions: Diagram, illustrate, or otherwise describe the role of the equation in the following cell types that express the enzyme:

Red Blood Cells
Parietal cells of the stomach
Pancreatic acinar cells
Various cell types lining the kidney tubule
Other cells in the human body

Answer 1

Carbonic anhydrase (CA) plays a crucial role in several cell types in the human body, including red blood cells, parietal cells of the stomach, pancreatic acinar cells, and various cell types lining the kidney tubule. In these cells, CA catalyzes the conversion of carbon dioxide and water into bicarbonate ions, which helps in transportation, digestion, and maintaining acid-base balance.

Step-by-step explanation:

Carbonic anhydrase (CA) is an enzyme that plays a crucial role in several cell types in the human body. In red blood cells, CA catalyzes the conversion of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and water (H₂O) into carbonic acid (H₂CO₃), which then dissociates into bicarbonate ions (HCO₃-) and hydrogen ions (H+). This process allows for the transportation of CO₂ in the blood.

In the parietal cells of the stomach, CA helps produce hydrochloric acid to aid in digestion. In pancreatic acinar cells, CA produces bicarbonate ions to neutralize the acidic chyme from the stomach. In the kidney tubules, CA helps transport bicarbonate ions across the cell membranes to maintain acid-base balance.