Enzymes Flashcards
What is an enzyme?
A catalysts produced by living things
What happens when you raise the temperature in the reaction?
The useful & unwanted reaction speed up but their is a limit on how much you can raise the temperature before the cells are damaged
Why are enzymes better?
They act as a biological catalyst and reduce the need for high temperatures and only speed up useful reactions.
What is a catalyst?
A substance that increases the speed of reaction without being used up or changed in the reaction.
What are enzymes made up of?
Large proteins.
What are proteins made up of?
Chains of amino acids.
Why does an enzyme have a special shape?
So the active cite can fit onto the substrate
Why do enzymes only catalyse one reaction?
The substrate has to fit into the active cite for it to work
What conditions effect enzymes?
Temperature and pH
What do enzymes work best at?
Their optimum temperature.
What happens if the substrate doesn’t fit the active site?
The enzyme is denatured.
