Question: what is enzymatic lysis), and what does it do?

Konstantinos Drousiotis answered on 5 Nov 2016:

Hi there,

Thanks for your question!

Enzymatic lysis is a task done by some proteins called enzymes. Just to set things straight before it gets too complicated. Every living cell has many tiny particles called proteins. Proteins are made of amino acids. The amino acids are the ‘tools’ each protein uses to carry out a specific job in the cell. Similarly to how a surgeon uses his/her operating tools in the surgery room or a plumber using a spanner to fix a sink.

As I mentioned already the enzymes are proteins so they carry out a task in the cell depending on their amino acids. Some of them carry phosphate groups around like a builder carries bricks to place them on top of cement to build a house. Other enzymes bring material together to form new bigger material, similar to how the cars (or any other electric devices) are made in a factory; with each part added one by one until the desired result.

The enzymes I mentioned in my profile are the ones that bacteria pump outside, in the environment to find plants (polysaccharides) and break them down to smaller portions. These smaller fragments of the plants can then enter the bacteria and get eaten up (by other enzymes :P). Lysis simply describes the activity of cutting the plants down to smaller fragments. The lysis normally needs water to happen, the same way we having plenty before we step on the dreaded gym treadmill 😛