Question

role of enzymes in organic matter decomposition

Answer 1

Answer:

Enzymes increase the reaction rate at which organic matter decomposes and releases nutrients into soil environment. Soil enzymes can be constitutive (constantly produced) or induced and can originate from both living and dead microorganisms (Fig. 16.4), soil animals and plant roots (Tabatabai, 1994).

Answer 2

Answer:

Extracellular enzymes in soils catalyze the degradation of organic matter pri- marily through hydrolytic and oxidative reactions. Hydrolytic enzymes are substrate-specific, in that their conformation enables them to catalyze reactions that cleave specific bonds (e.g., C–O and C–N bonds) that link monomers.