Life · life
Carbonic anhydrase
Enzyme · Zn
- Numbers
- Up to a million reactions a second — among the fastest enzymes known, and close to the limit set by how fast substrate can diffuse to it.
- Kind
- Enzyme
Function
Converts carbon dioxide and water to bicarbonate and back, with a single zinc atom holding a hydroxide ion in position to attack. Without it the reaction is far too slow to move CO₂ out of tissue at the rate breathing requires.
Open on the Life shelf — the interactive card, the filters, and everything alongside it.