Enzymes

Question 1

What is metabolism?

Answer 1

Is the sum of all the chemical reactions in an organism

Question 2

What is solar energy?

Answer 2

Energy from the sun

Question 3

What is cellular energy?

Answer 3

Energy stored in the bonds of biomolecules

Question 4

How do organisms break down energy rich biomolecules?

Answer 4

Respiration

Releases energy which is used by cells and released into the environment as heat

Question 5

What are enzymes?

Answer 5

Are folded, globular shaped protein catalysts that speed up reactions without being used up in the reaction.

Question 6

What do all enzymes have?

Answer 6

All enzymes have an active site where the enzyme combines with its specific substrate

Question 7

What is the active site?

Answer 7

Area of the enzyme where the substrate enters and is changed into a product

Question 8

What is specificity?

Answer 8

Refers to the enzyme’s ability to react with only one substrate

Question 9

What is the substrate?

Answer 9

The substance upon which the enzyme acts on.

Question 10

What is the product?

Answer 10

Substance the enzyme forms.

Question 11

What is the role of enzymes?

Answer 11

Enzymes are necessary in plants and animals to control metabolic reactions.

Question 12

What are catabolic enzymes?

Give examples.

Answer 12

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.

Question 13

What are anabolic enzymes?

Give example.

Answer 13

Anabolic enzymes join molecules together.
DNA ligase- used in genetic engineering to join two pieces together
DNA polymerase- forms and repairs DNA

Question 14

Name two factors that affect enzyme activity

Answer 14

Temperature

pH

Question 15

What temperature does human enzymes work best at?

Answer 15

37 degrees

Question 16

What temperature does plant enzymes work best at?

Answer 16

20-30 degrees

Question 17

What pH do plants and animal enzymes work best at?

Answer 17

6-8

Question 18

Name an exception of an enzyme that works best outside the optimum range

Answer 18

Pepsin, works at 1-2 pH

Question 19

What is the optimum pH for most enzymes?

Answer 19

pH7

Question 20

What is a denatured enzyme?

Answer 20

An enzyme that has lost its shape and can no longer function

Question 21

How do enzymes get denatured

Answer 21

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.

Question 22

What are immobilised enzymes?

Answer 22

Immobilised enzymes are enzymes that are attached or trapped in an inert insoluble material

Question 23

Name 3 ways that enzymes can be immobilised.

Answer 23

1. Attached to each other
2. Attached to insoluble supports
3. Enclosed with a membrane or gel

Question 24

What are the uses of immobilised enzymes?

Answer 24

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

Question 25

Name 4 advantages to using immobilised enzymes

Answer 25

1. Immobilised enzymes are more stable
2. Efficiency of the enzyme is unaffected
3. Easy recovery of product and enzyme at the end of the reaction
4. Immobilised enzymes can be reused many times reducing the cost to manufacturers

Question 26

What is a catalyst?

Answer 26

A substance that speeds up a reaction without itself being used up in the reaction.

Question 27

What is bioprocessing?

Answer 27

Is the use of enzyme-controlled reactions to produce a product.

Question 28

What is a bioreactor?

Answer 28

Is a vessel or container in which living cells or their products are used to make a product.

Question 29

What is the chemical nature of enzymes?

Answer 29

Protein