science

Oxygenase

Oxygenase is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Oxygenase rather than just read about it. In short: An oxygenase is any enzyme that oxidizes a substrate by transferring the oxygen from molecular oxygen O2 (as in air) to it. The oxygenases form a class of oxidoreductases; their EC number is EC 1.13 or EC 1.14.

Key takeaways

Oxygenase belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Oxygenase to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Oxygenase from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

An oxygenase is any enzyme that oxidizes a substrate by transferring the oxygen from molecular oxygen O2 (as in air) to it. The oxygenases form a class of oxidoreductases; their EC number is EC 1.13 or EC 1.14.

Structure Most oxygenases contain either a metal, usually iron, or an organic cofactor, usually flavin. These cofactors interact with O2, leading to its transfer to substrate. Oxygenases constitute a major intracellular source of iron and carbon monoxide

Mechanism Two types of oxygenases are recognized:

Monooxygenases, or mixed function oxidase, transfer one oxygen atom to the substrate, and reduce the other oxygen atom to water. Dioxygenases, or oxygen transferases, incorporate both atoms of molecular oxygen (O2) into the product(s) of the reaction. Among the most common monooxygenases are the cytochrome P450 oxidases, responsible for breaking down numerous chemicals in the body.

History Oxygenases were discovered in 1955 simultaneously by two groups, Osamu Hayaishi from Japan and Howard S. Mason from the US. Hayaishi was awarded the 1986 Wolf Prize in Medicine "for the discovery of the oxygenase enzymes and elucidation of their structure and biological importance."

References

Illustrations

Oxygenase: Molecular structure of tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase — Molecular structure of tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Oxygenase

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Oxygenase claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Oxygenase before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Oxygenase ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Oxygenase

In research: Oxygenase appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Oxygenase in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Oxygenase is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Enzyme stubs, Enzymes, Oxygenases, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Oxygenase outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Oxygenase in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Oxygenase means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Oxygenase out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Oxygenase in simple terms?

Why does Oxygenase matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Oxygenase?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Oxygenase.