Body Systems: Digestion (Enzymes) Flashcards
The human body functions at what temperature?
37 degrees Celsius.
What do proteins do when they are in contact with too much heat?
Denature (change shape and stop working).
What are catalysts?
Enzymes are catalysts that speed up the rate of reaction in your body without increasing the temperature.
Can catalysts be used again?
Yes.
What are enzymes?
Proteins that are specialized for specific tasks. Ex) sucrase breaks down sucrose, lipases break down lipids.
What do all chemical reactions in living organisms need to work?
Enzymes.
Enzymes:
Build molecules (synthesis), break down molecules (digestion), speed up reactions (catalysts).
What is activation energy?
The energy needed for reactants to form a product. This is so chemical bonds can be changed.
What reduces the reactions activation energy?
Enzymes.
What is a substrate?
The molecule on which an enzyme works. Each substrate combines to a specific enzyme and are changed during the reaction as a product is formed.
What is an active site?
The area that joins the enzyme with the substrate molecule. Each enzyme has a specially shaped active site.
What is an enzyme-substrate complex?
When an enzyme joins with the substrate.
What happens to enzymes when your body temperature is too high?
Bonds are too weak to maintain enzyme shape.
What happens to enzymes when your body temperature is too low?
Bonds are not flexible to allow the substrate to fit properly.
What pH do humans function on?
6-8.
Is stomach pH high or low?
Very low.
What is substrate molecule concentration?
Where the greater number of substrate molecules, the greater number of collisions (the greater the rate of reaction).
What are competitive inhibitors?
Molecules that have similar shapes to the substrate and compete with substrates for the active site of enzymes.
What is the result of competitive inhibitors?
Enzyme activity inhibited. (No reaction/product).
What do non-competitive inhibitors do?
They bind to the enzyme not at its active site, and this changes the shape of the active site of the enzyme so that the substrate cannot bind.
What is the result of a non-competitive inhibitor?
Enzyme activity inhibited. (No reaction/product is made).
What side does the molecule in non-competitive inhibiting attach to?
The allosteric/regulatory side.
What is feedback inhibition?
A series of enzymatic reactions where the product of the first reaction becomes the substrate for the next reaction. The final product can go back and bind to the allosteric side of the first enzyme to prevent the substrate and enzyme from binding.
What is the result of feedback inhibition?
This slows down reaction rates, preventing further creation of final products.
What changes to form a product in a chemical reaction: the enzyme or the substrate?
The substrate.
What is an uncompetitive inhibitor do?
It binds only to the enzyme-substrate complex and does not bind to a free enzyme. It is ineffective at low substrate concentration.
