Thanks for your question! Model enzymes have come a loooong way in the last few years. Enzymes are *huge* molecules, so we have to find ways of picturing them using models.
BUT in the olden days, they used to actually build them out of plastic!! Hundreds and hundreds of little plastic balls all glued together in a VERY careful way! It was worth the effort though, because scientists could then look at the models and figure out how the enzyme worked!
This is a cute picture of a model of DNA (which is smaller than our enzymes!) but it gives you an idea of what the models used to look like! Lots of hard work went into them. : )
Hi rrose49!
Thanks for your question! Model enzymes have come a loooong way in the last few years. Enzymes are *huge* molecules, so we have to find ways of picturing them using models.
The ones I make are all on computers, like building a 3D puzzle that we can email all around the world. Here’s a picture of what they end up looking like: https://www.pnas.org/content/106/51/21631/F6.large.jpg
BUT in the olden days, they used to actually build them out of plastic!! Hundreds and hundreds of little plastic balls all glued together in a VERY careful way! It was worth the effort though, because scientists could then look at the models and figure out how the enzyme worked!
This is a cute picture of a model of DNA (which is smaller than our enzymes!) but it gives you an idea of what the models used to look like! Lots of hard work went into them. : )
https://www.iscb.org/cms_addon/conferences/ismb2008/ismb2008_includes/images/vrs/joel_3_low.png.jpg
0