Enzymes Flashcards
What types of molecules are enzymes?
Enzymes are proteins and large biomolecules composed of amino acids with a specific three-dimensional structure. Some RNA molecules (ribozymes) can also act as enzymes.
What types of reactions do enzymes catalyze?
Enzymes catalyze a wide range of biochemical reactions, including hydrolysis, oxidation-reduction, condensation reactions, isomerization, and phosphorylation.
What are the characteristics of enzymes?
Enzymes have specificity, efficiency, are reusable, sensitive to conditions, and can denature.
How do temperature and pH affect enzyme activity?
Enzyme activity increases with temperature up to an optimum temperature, after which they denature. Each enzyme has an optimum pH, and deviations can reduce activity.
How does the concentration of the substrate affect the catalyzed reaction/enzyme activity?
At low substrate concentrations, enzyme activity increases with substrate concentration. At high concentrations, enzyme activity plateaus.
What is the ‘active site,’ and how does it work?
The active site is a specific region on the enzyme where the substrate binds. It can be explained by the Lock-and-Key Model or the Induced-Fit Model.
What are some examples of reactions catalyzed by enzymes?
Catalase: H₂O₂ → H₂O + O₂; Amylase: Starch → Maltose; Lipase: Triglycerides → Glycerol + fatty acids; Lactase: Lactose → Glucose + galactose.
How can enzymes be used by industry?
Enzymes are used in various industries, such as lactase for lactose intolerance, proteases in detergents, amylases in baking, and cellulases in fabric softening and paper production.
