Biochemistry: Enzymes and Activation Energy Flashcards
What is energy?
- Without energy, you do not function.
- Energy comes from the sun. We now know that some organisms can use chemosynthesis to convert energy in the absence of sunlight.
- Energy is the ability to cause matter to move or change.
- All life processes are driven by energy
What are reactants?
a substance that takes part in and undergoes change during a reaction, results in the product
The sum of all chemical reactions in your body is known as..
Metabolism
What is activation energy?
energy required to get a reaction started
What does a catalyst do?
lowers the activation energy (speeds up process)
What are examples of catalysts?
Organic catalysts:
- enzymes (catalase, peroxidase, maltase, amylase) As a general rule organic catalysis’ end in “ase”
Inorganic catalysts:
- manganese dioxide
- potassium Iodid
- light
- the materials used for catalytic converters in cars
What are substrates?
a reactant in a chemical reaction is called a substrate when acted upon by an enzyme
Are enzymes used up (can not be reused) in the reaction?
enzymes are not used up in the reaction and are neither the reactant nor the product..
What affects enzymes?
- Temperature: all enzymes have an optimal temp they work best at
- pH: acidity/alkalinity can increase or decrease the function of an enzyme
- Concentration: Increasing the concentration of the enzyme can increase the rate of the chemical reaction
How do ATP store energy?
energy is released as a phosphate is broken off; as energy is stored, a phosphate is added.