Chapter 4.1 - Enzyme action

Question 1

What are enzymes?

Answer 1

Biological catalysts that increase the rate of a reaction without being used up, they are globular(tertiary) proteins

Question 2

What does it mean when enzymes are specific?

Answer 2

Enzymes can only catalyse reactions with one substrate

Question 3

Why are enzymes so important?

Answer 3

Without enzymes, the reactions in organisms will be too slow to sustain life
- Basic reactions such as respiration would be slow, causing cells, tissues, and organs to have an inadequate supply of oxygen, leading to cell death -> organ failure

Question 4

What are the two types of reactions that enzymes catalyse?

Answer 4

Anabolic and catabolic reactions

Question 5

What is meant by an anabolic reaction?

Answer 5

Reactions that construct molecules from smaller units, these reactions require energy from the hydrolysis of ATP

Question 6

What is meant by a catabolic reaction?

Answer 6

Reactions that break molecules into smaller units, these reactions release energy