Chemical structure of enzymes Flashcards
What type of biological molecule is an enzyme?
Globular protein
What are the features of a globular protein
- A globular protein consists of:
- Long chains of amino acids
- Folded and twisted
- Into a spherical or globular shape
How does a globular protein (Enzyme) hold its globular shape
- Hydrogen bonds
- Ionic bonds
- Disulfide bridges
- Hold the amino acids in their distinct three dimensional shape
- It is called the tertiary structure
What is the primary structure of a protein
The primary structure of a protein refers to
- The actual sequence of amino acids in the protein chain.
- There are 20 naturally occuring amino acids….
- and thousands of these amino acids in each protein chain
- Each enzyme has its own sequence of amino acids
What is the secondary structure of a protein?
- The secondary structure of a protein refers to the way a protein is organised
- e.g. An Alpha helix
What is the tertiary structure of a protein?
The shape of the protein.
The amino acid chains are twisted and folded by the hydrogen, ionic and disulfide bonds to form a distinct 3 dimensional shape
Why is the tertiary structure important
- The shape of the protein determins the function of the protein.
- The type of 3D shape enables the protein to form receptor sites for its substrates
What factors influence the shape of the tertiary structure
- The immediate surroundings can influence the shape of the tertiary structure
- e.g. PH and Temperature
Changes in what 2 factors may influence the shape of the tertiary structure
- PH
- Temperature
WHat is the primary structure of an enzyme
- The actual sequence of amino acids
What is the secondary structure of an enzyme
The way the amino acid chain is organised e.g. An alpha helix
Why is the tertiary structure so important to an enzyme
- The shape of the tertiary structure determines the function of the enzyme…
- and also determines whate receptor sites for its substrates are formed
