Final answer:
The common method for naming enzymes involves adding 'ase' to the name of the substrate they act on. Enzymes catalyze specific biochemical reactions and are named based on the substrate and the type of reaction, such as oxidation or hydrolysis.
Step-by-step explanation:
A substrate plus "ase" is the common method for naming enzymes.
In biology, enzymes are specialized proteins that catalyze biochemical reactions without being consumed in the process.
Their names usually reflect the substrate they act on and the type of reaction they catalyze.
For instance, the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase catalyzes the oxidation of an alcohol to an aldehyde, where "alcohol" is the substrate, and "dehydrogenate" refers to the removal of hydrogen (oxidation).
Enzymes are highly specific in their action due to a unique combination of amino acid side chains at their active sites, which bind to specific substrates.
This specificity is often included in their names, with substrates like lipids, nucleic acids, or specific chemicals like alcohol being part of the enzyme's name, followed by the suffix "ase" that indicates its catalytic role.
Additionally, enzyme-substrate interactions can be studied by kinetic measures, where substrates like acetylcholinesterase are tested with alternative substrates that indicate activity through color changes.
In immunoassays, enzymes like alkaline phosphatase or horseradish peroxidase catalyze reactions with chromogenic or fluorogenic substrates, producing color or fluorescence that can be measured.