Lysozyme facts for kids
A lysozyme is a special kind of enzyme that helps your body fight off germs. It's a key part of your innate immune system, which is like your body's first line of defense. You can find lysozyme in many body fluids, like tears, saliva, and mucus. Its job is to protect you from infection by breaking down harmful bacteria, viruses, and fungi.
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Who Discovered Lysozyme?
The name 'lysozyme' was first used in 1922 by Alexander Fleming (1881–1955). He is famous for discovering penicillin, a very important medicine. Fleming first noticed how lysozyme worked when he put nasal mucus from a person with a common cold onto some bacteria. He saw that the mucus could kill the bacteria.
Where Can You Find Lysozyme?
Lysozyme is found in many places in your body. It's in your tears, saliva, and even in milk. It's also in mucus, which is that sticky stuff in your nose and throat. Inside your body, it's found in special cells called macrophages and neutrophils, which are types of white blood cells that fight infections.
How Does Lysozyme Work?
This amazing enzyme works by attacking the outer walls of bacteria, especially a type called Gram-positive bacteria (like Bacillus and Streptococcus). Think of bacteria as having a protective shield around them. Lysozyme acts like tiny scissors, cutting holes in this shield. Once the shield is broken, the bacteria can't survive and are destroyed.
Scientific Discoveries About Lysozyme
Lysozyme was a very important molecule for scientists to study.
- It was the second protein structure ever figured out using a method called X-ray crystallography. This was a big step in understanding how proteins are shaped.
- It was also the first enzyme where scientists figured out the exact order of all its parts, called amino acids.
- Scientists even figured out exactly how lysozyme performs its job, which helped them understand how all enzymes speed up chemical reactions in living things.
Related pages
Images for kids
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This image shows how the lysozyme enzyme connects to a sugar molecule.
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This shows the different molecules that lysozyme can act on.
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Scientists have suggested two ways lysozyme might work.
See also
In Spanish: Lisozima para niños
