Enzymes Flashcards
What is metabolism?
Is the sum of all the chemical reactions in an organism
What is solar energy?
Energy from the sun
What is cellular energy?
Energy stored in the bonds of biomolecules
How do organisms break down energy rich biomolecules?
Respiration
Releases energy which is used by cells and released into the environment as heat
What are enzymes?
Are folded, globular shaped protein catalysts that speed up reactions without being used up in the reaction.
What do all enzymes have?
All enzymes have an active site where the enzyme combines with its specific substrate
What is the active site?
Area of the enzyme where the substrate enters and is changed into a product
What is specificity?
Refers to the enzyme’s ability to react with only one substrate
What is the substrate?
The substance upon which the enzyme acts on.
What is the product?
Substance the enzyme forms.
What is the role of enzymes?
Enzymes are necessary in plants and animals to control metabolic reactions.
What are catabolic enzymes?
Give examples.
Catabolic enzymes are enzymes that break down larger molecules into smaller ones.
Amylase converts starch into maltose.
Lipase digests fats into fatty acids and glycerol.
What are anabolic enzymes?
Give example.
Anabolic enzymes join molecules together.
DNA ligase- used in genetic engineering to join two pieces together
DNA polymerase- forms and repairs DNA
Name two factors that affect enzyme activity
Temperature
pH
What temperature does human enzymes work best at?
37 degrees
What temperature does plant enzymes work best at?
20-30 degrees
What pH do plants and animal enzymes work best at?
6-8
Name an exception of an enzyme that works best outside the optimum range
Pepsin, works at 1-2 pH
What is the optimum pH for most enzymes?
pH7
What is a denatured enzyme?
An enzyme that has lost its shape and can no longer function
How do enzymes get denatured
Most proteins heated above 50 degrees, treated with certain chemicals or radiation will gradually lose their shape.
This means they cannot form the enzyme/substrate complex.
What are immobilised enzymes?
Immobilised enzymes are enzymes that are attached or trapped in an inert insoluble material
Name 3 ways that enzymes can be immobilised.
- Attached to each other
- Attached to insoluble supports
- Enclosed with a membrane or gel
What are the uses of immobilised enzymes?
Immobilised enzymes are used to break down lactose in milk for lactose intolerant people.
Lactose-> lactase/glucose and galactose
Immobilised glucose isomerase is used in sweet manufacture as fructose is sweeter than glucose
Glucose-> glucose isomerase/ fructose
Name 4 advantages to using immobilised enzymes
- Immobilised enzymes are more stable
- Efficiency of the enzyme is unaffected
- Easy recovery of product and enzyme at the end of the reaction
- Immobilised enzymes can be reused many times reducing the cost to manufacturers
What is a catalyst?
A substance that speeds up a reaction without itself being used up in the reaction.
What is bioprocessing?
Is the use of enzyme-controlled reactions to produce a product.
What is a bioreactor?
Is a vessel or container in which living cells or their products are used to make a product.
What is the chemical nature of enzymes?
Protein
