ENZYMES

Question 1

what are enzymes? (1)

Answer 1

Are protein based catalysts found in living things, they are very effective, usually globular proteins.

Question 2

What is required of the reacting molecules in an enzyme reaction? (1)

Answer 2

The reacting molecule fits precisely in the active site and held in just the right orientation to react, often called the lock and key hypothesis.

Question 3

Chemically what happens at the active site? (1)

Answer 3

The reacting molecule (substrate) must not only fit the shape of the active site, it must bond temporarily by intermolecular forces. Whilst bonded, these forces promote the movement of electrons within the substrate that lower the activation energy for the reaction.

Question 4

what is stereospecificity? (1)

Answer 4

the active site of an enzyme can be so selective of the shape of a substrate that many enzymes only catalyse reactions of one or other of a pair of enantiomers. These are called stereoisomers so the enzyme is stereospecific

Question 5

What are the different ways of enzyme inhibition? (2)

Answer 5

-Drugs/temperature
-devising of a molecule

Question 6

what is enzyme inhibition? (1)

Answer 6

a molecule that binds to its active site and block the active site of the enzyme to the substrate.