2.1.4: Enzymes Flashcards
Define what an enzyme is
- Biological catalyst
- A protein that speeds up the rate of reaction in a living organism without being used up
- Lowers activation energy
- Provides an alternative reaction pathway
What is the structure of an enzyme?
Globular protein
What can an enzyme effect in an organism ?
Structure ,function and metabolism of a whole organism
Why are enzymes (biological catalysts) better than chemical catalysts ?
No side reactions and high turnover rate
How far do enzymes increase the rate of reaction up to ?
Up to the Vmax
What type of enzyme is amylase ?
Extracellular
Where can amylase be found ?
- Salivary glands
- Small intestine
What are extracellular enzymes ?
- Nutrients present in diet or environment of organism which are often large polymers e.g. large proteins
What are the function of extracellular enzymes ?
Enzymes released to break nutrients down
What is the function of amylase ?
Catalyses the digestion for the hydrolysis of starch so it is small enough to be absorbed by the digestive system lining in the bloodstream
What is the function of trypsin ?
Catalyses the breakdown of protein into smaller peptides and amino acids which are small enough to be absorbed by the digestive system lining in the bloodstream
What type of enzyme is trypsin ?
Extracellular
Where is the enzyme trypsin found ?
Produced in the pancreas then released into the small intestine via pancreatic juice
Give the 4 types of reactions that enzymes catalyse ?
- Intracellular
- Extracellular
- Condensation
- Hydrolysis
What type of enzyme is catalase ?
Intracellular
Give the reaction for the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide by catalase
H202 (l) –> 2H20 + O2
Whats the benefit of using an enzyme to catalyse the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide ?
Highest turnover rate as H202 is toxic so needs to be broken down in liver cells quickly so it doesn’t damage
Give the steps for the breakdown of starch
Starch broken down by amylase into maltose –> maltose broken down by maltase into glucose which is small enough to be absorbed into the bloodstream
What is special about an active site and why is it special ?
Specific shape due to specific folding and bonding in the tertiary structure of the protein
Explain the lock and key hypothesis
- Due to enzymes specific tertiary structure it results in an active site which is complementary to the substrate
- Active site is a fixed shape
- Substrate binds to complementary active site forming an ESC
- Substrate is broken down into products
- Products are released and enzyme is unchanged
- Charged groups within active site distort substrate to lower activation energy and energy to break substrate bonds
Explain the induced fit hypothesis
- Enzyme active site is induced to change shape so it is complementary to substrate when it collides
- When the ESC forms, strain is put on the bonds within the substrate as many weak enzyme and substrate interactions which lowers activation energy
- Products are released from the enzyme
Why is the initial rate of reaction always the highest ?
- Maximum concentrations of substrates
- Maximum number of available active sites
- More successful enzyme and substrate collisions
- More ESCs form
Give 2 reasons why ESCs forming lowers activation energy
- Special chemical conditions on active site
- Reactants are held together in exposed conditions
How does a higher temperature effect enzyme activity ?
- Molecules have more kinetic energy ( substrate and enzyme )
- More successful collisions with more force
- More ESCs form
What happens if the temperature is too high for an enzyme (above optimum) ?
Enzymes denature as bonds break in the tertiary structure ( ionic + hydrogen ) causing a change to the shape of the active site so it is no longer complementary to the substrate .ESCs can’t form and rate decreases
What specifically breaks the bonds within an enzyme when it denatures ?
Kinetic energy/ vibrations between R groups