Chapter 5 - Enzymes

Question 1

What are enzymes?

Answer 1

They are proteins which are biological catalysts which work to speed up a reaction without being changed or used up in the process.

Question 2

Why are enzymes so important?

Answer 2

They are crucial as they speed up metabolic reactions which would take long to occur without them.

Question 3

Describe enzyme action:

Answer 3

All enzymes contain active site which has a specific shape, it is complementary to the substrate. When the enzymes breaks the substrate down the substrate enters active site to form enzyme-substrate complex. Substrate broken down and product released.

Question 4

Examples of enzymes:

Answer 4

Proteases break down proteins so amino acids can be absorbed.
Carbohydrase break down carbohydrates

Question 5

Factors that affect enzymes:

Answer 5

• pH

- temperature

Question 6

How does pH affect enzymes?

Answer 6

The shape of the active site changes when the pH moves away from the optimal pH therefore substrate can’t fit into active site hence it doesn’t work. enzyme is denatured and rate of reaction decreases.

Question 7

How does temperature affect enzymes?

Answer 7

As temperature increases rate of reaction increases as molecules have more kinetic energy and collide more with enzymes but as the temperature passes the optimum temperature the enzyme becomes denatured