What is lysozyme? What is its function?

Hint: Lysozyme is a small enzyme, stored in “suicide bags” of cells called lysosomes.

Complete Answer:
1) Lysozyme is a small enzyme that cuts sugar chains in bacterial cell walls, which causes bacteria to burst. It is used by our bodies to fight infections, and it is found naturally in egg whites, human tears, and mucus. The long gray connections represent hydrogen bonds.
2) The enzymes break the glycosidic bonds in the cell wall. This provides protection against infections by microorganisms. The enzyme is responsible for the breakdown of the damaged cellular organelles and certain proteins.
3) It functions as an antimicrobial agent by cleaving the peptidoglycan component of bacterial cell walls, which leads to cell death. Antibiotics are also antimicrobials and have been fed at subtherapeutic levels to swine as growth promoters. These compounds benefit swine producers by minimizing production losses by increasing feed efficiency and decreasing susceptibility to bacterial infection and disease. Similarly, lysozyme, as a feed additive, increases growth and feed efficiency.
4) Lysozyme is found in the secretions (tears) of the lacrimal glands of animals and in nasal mucus, gastric secretions, and egg white.

Additional information: Enzymes are biological catalysts. Catalysts are substances that increase the rate of chemical reactions without being used up. Enzymes are also proteins that are folded into complex shapes that allow smaller molecules to fit into them. The place where these substrate molecules fit is called the active site.Examples are lactase, alcohol dehydrogenase and DNA polymerase.

Note: Lysozyme is a naturally occurring enzyme found in bodily secretions such as tears, saliva, and milk.