Enzymes Flashcards
What is metabolism
Metabolism is the sum of all chemical reactions within an organism
What are catalysts
Catalysts are substances that speed up a chemical reaction without being used up in the reaction
What are enzymes
Enzymes are a catalyst made by a living organism
What are Enzymes made up of
Protein and have long chains of Amino Acids
Chemicals in Enzymes
Carbon (C), Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Hydrogen (H), Oxygen (O), Sulfur (S)
What are Enzymes used for?
Enzymes are used for speeding up chemical reactions in our bodies such as digestion
Why is the shape of an Enzyme important
Enzymes are made up of specific 3D shapes to perfectly let the Substrate fit in to speed up the reaction.
What is a Substrate
Substance which the Enzyme reacts to
What is a Product
Substance the Enzyme helped form from the Substrate
What are Catabolic Enzymes
Enzymes that break down larger components into smaller/simpler ones (e.g. pepsin, lipase)
What is an Anabolic Enzymes
Enzymes that uses small units to form larger/complex ones (e.g. DNA Polymerase)
Factors that affect Enzyme Activity
Temperature, pH
How does temperature affect enzyme activity
Raising the temperature would speed up a reaction while lowering the temperature would slow it down. Human enzymes work best at 37 degrees (body temperature)
How does pH affect enzyme activity
Enzymes are very sensitive to changes in pH. Enzymes only work at a narrow range (6-8) and if the pH changes, the enzyme can change its specific shape and becomes denatured.
What is Bioprocessing
The use of enzyme controlled reactions to produce a product (e.g. Drugs, Vaccines, Antibiotics, Methane Gas, Beer)
