Enzymes Flashcards
what is an enzyme
a protein catalyst that regulates cells metabolism
metabolism
the sum of all chemical rxns in an organism
what are the “reactants” called in enzyme reactions
substrate
why do we need enzyme
- its purpose is to speed up chemical reactions so it can sustain life in our bodies
- had we used heat/temp to speed up reactions, we would be denaturing proteins in the process
- enzymes can also be recycled and reused which helps us save resources
inhibitor
an agent that slows down or interferes with chemical rxns
activation energy
the energy required for rxn to occur
- enzymes lower A.E by putting stress on existing bonds, creating an alternate pathway
explain the steps of the induced fit model
- substrate is drawn into active site
- bonds to active site, enzyme slightly changes active site shape to better fit the substrate
- enzyme puts stress on bonds
- end result is released by enzyme, active site returns to original shape
van’t hoffs rule
- every 10 deg celsius temp increases doubles rate of rxn
why is denaturation detrimental to enzymes
enzymes are responsible for executing the bodily processes in our body. if they denature and its form changes, its function will change as well which can be deadly
optimal temp
~37c
- ideal temp where enzymes rate of rxn is maximized and denaturation is minimized
what factors affect enzyme fuction
- temp
- pH
- substrate conc
- enzyme conc
- salinity
why does the graph for [substrate] plateau
once point of saturation is reached, graph will plateau bc all active sites are occupied and until they are free again further rxns cannot occur
cofactors
small, non protien, inorganic compounds and ions bound INSIDE the enzyme
activators
compounds that help bind substrate/help enzymes
conezmymes
small, non protein, organic molecule that temporarily/permanently binds near active site to help substrate move around and transfer energy in the form of e
