Enzymes Flashcards
what is a catalyst
substance that increases
the rate of a chemical reaction and is not
changed by the reaction
what is an enzyme
proteins that are involved
in all metabolic reactions, where they function as
biological catalysts
why are enzymes important in living organisms
allow reactions to occur at the rate necessary for life. for examples break down molecules in digestion and speed up photosynthesis
how is the shape of an enzyme relevant
enzymes work in a “lock and key” action. the shape of the active site of an enzyme is complementary to its substrate
what is the active site
area in the enzyme that specifically connects to the reactant
what is the substrate
reactant that must also have a similar shape to the activation site
how does an enzyme work
the active site will bind to the substrate. the reaction will occur and the substrate will become the product. then, the products are released from the active site and the enzyme is ready to work again
describe the effect of changes in temperature and pH on enzyme activity
Each enzyme has an optimum pH and temperature range. Changing the pH and temperature outside of this range will slow enzyme activity. the enzyme can be denatured because a change outside the optimum range
effect of increase in temperature in enzyme reaction
kinetic energy of the molecules increases, the enzymes and substrates will collide more often which results in an increased chance of a successful collision between the enzymes active site and the substrate.
