Enzymes Flashcards
What are enzymes?
Biological catalysts that lower the activation energy of a reaction without being used up in the reaction.
What factors effect the rate of enzyme activity?
Temperature
pH
Substrate concentration
Inhibitors
Activators
Enzyme concentration
What is a competitive inhibitor?
A molecule that occupies the active site of the enzymes meaning no substrate can enter
What is a non competitive inhibitor?
A molecule that attaches itself to another part of the enzymes, which changes the active sites shape meaning the substrate can no longer fit.
What is the Q10 rule?
For every 10 degrees added the rate of reaction will double
Are enzymes proteins?
Yes they are very large proteins.
What reactions can enzymes catalyse?
\Enzymes are generally very specific to the enzymes they can catalyse
Why are enzymes sensitive to changes in temperature?
The enzymes can denature (change shape) at high temperatures
What type of protein is an enzyme?
Globular
Are enzymes efficient?
They are the most efficient catalysts known
What would happen if enzymes did not exist?
Biological systems would still take place, just far too slowly.
How much can enzymes change the rate of reaction?
By a factor of up to 10^20 over un-catalysed reactions
