Lyases: Non-Hydrolysis Group Removal — NEET Biology
✅ Asked in NEET 2026Lyases: Enzymes that catalyse removal of groups from substrates by mechanisms other than hydrolysis leaving double bonds.
Lyases are enzymes that remove groups from substrates WITHOUT breaking bonds through hydrolysis, instead creating double bonds (C=C, C=O, C=N). NTA tests this by distinguishing lyases from hydrolases—students often confuse them because both remove groups, but hydrolases use water while lyases don't. The key trap is thinking all group-removing enzymes are hydrolases; remember that lyases specifically use elimination mechanisms. To get it right, focus on the mechanism difference: hydrolysis breaks bonds using H₂O, while lyases remove groups and form unsaturation (double bonds). Examples like decarboxylase (removes CO₂) and aldolase (cleaves C-C bonds) help cement this distinction.
This paragraph was tested 2 times in NEET.
The reaction X-C-C-Y -> X-Y + C=C is catalysed by which enzyme class?
Enzymes that catalyse the removal of groups from substrates by mechanisms other than hydrolysis are
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