Question: Lysozymes are found in ______
Answer: Lysozymes are found in various bodily secretions in humans and animals such as
- Tears
- Saliva
- Mucus
- Milk
| Lysozyme | Information |
| Definition | · Enzyme that breaks down the peptidoglycan layer of bacterial cell walls. |
| Sources
| · Tears, saliva, mucus, and other bodily secretions of humans and animals · Abundant in bird eggs, such as chicken eggs. · Produced by certain bacteria as part of their defense mechanisms. · Present in plants, contributing to their defense against pathogens. |
| Function
| · Acts as a defense mechanism against bacterial infections in humans, animals, and plants. · Found in bodily secretions like tears, saliva, and mucus, providing protection against bacterial pathogens. · Also present in egg whites, protecting developing embryos from bacterial contamination. · Produced by some bacteria, serving as a defense mechanism against competing bacteria or as a virulence factor. |
| Mechanism | · Lysozyme cleaves the glycosidic bonds in the peptidoglycan layer which results in the lysis of bacterial cell walls. |