Home > Encyclopedia of Science > Metabolic Disorders

How are your enzymes working today? Enzymes are chemical compounds that increase the rate at which reactions take place in a living organism. Without enzymes, most chemical changes in an organism would proceed so slowly that the organism could not survive. As an example, all of the metabolic reactions that take place in the body are made possible by the presence of specific enzymes. As a group these chemical reactions are referred to as metabolism.

So what happens if an enzyme is missing from the body or not functioning as it should? In such cases, a metabolic disorder may develop.

A metabolic disorder is a medical condition that develops when some metabolic reaction essential for normal growth and development does not occur.

The disorder known as phenylketonuria (PKU) is an example. PKU is caused by the lack of an enzyme known as phenylalanine hydroxylase. This enzyme is responsible for converting the amino...