Maximum Yield USA February 2019 | Page 14

bare ROOTS VOLUME 21 – NUMBER 2 February 2019 Featured Contributors MM Monica Mansfield owned an indoor garden store for 5 1/2 years, sold the business and started a seven-acre homestead with her husband, Owen. Monica is passionate about gardening, sustainable living, and holistic health. She writes about these topics and her homestead adventures on her blog thenaturelifeproject.com. CB Chris Bond’s research interests are with sustainable agriculture, biological pest control as well as alternative growing methods. He is a certified permaculture designer and certified nursery technician in Ohio and a certified nursery professional in New York, where he got his start in growing. Maximum Yield is published monthly by Maximum Yield Inc. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without permission from the publisher. If undeliverable please return to the address below. The views expressed by columnists are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect those of Maximum Yield or the editor. Publication Agreement Number 40739092 Printed in Canada 2339 A Delinea Place, Nanaimo, BC V9T 5L9 Phone: 250.729.2677; Fax 250.729.2687 Maximum Yield is now available on magazine stands across the USA! Contributors + Becky Evans Wiley Geren Kent Gruetzmacher Eric Hopper Philip McIntosh Bryan Traficante Maximum Yield is distributed direct to retailers via FedEx ® , with distribution support from our partners: BWGS bwgs.com DL Wholesale dlwholesale.com Hydrofarm hydrofarm.com A Enzymes Enzymes are biological catalysts. This means that enzymes accelerate a wide variety of very particular chemical reactions within living organisms. They represent a major aspect of cellular regulation and function. Almost all metabolic processes including transportation of information and processes within the cytoskeleton of the cell need enzymes in order to maintain function and sustain the life of the organism. Chemically, enzymes are like any catalyst and are not consumed in chemical reactions, nor do they alter a reaction other than through acceleration. Enzymes differ from most other catalysts by being much more specific in their function and reaction. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrates and the enzyme helps convert the substrates into different molecules known as products. Enzyme activity can be affected by other molecules: inhibitors are molecules that decrease enzyme activity, and activators are molecules that increase activity. Check out Eric Hopper’s article on page 40 for more information. 14 Maximum Yield