Enzymes Flashcards
What is the Vmax?
Maximum initial velocity or rate of an enzyme-catalysed reaction
What kind of proteins are enzymes?
Globular
What is an enzyme?
A protein that acts as a catalyst in biological reactions
What is the relationship between the shape of the active site and the shape of the substrate?
They have complementary shapes
Give an example of an intracellular enzyme
Catalase
Give an example of an extracellular enzyme
Amylase
Define metabolic reactions
The reactions occurring inside the bodu at any given time
Where are enzymes produced?
On the ribosomes of a cell
How do enzymes speed up the rate of reaction?
They reduce the activation energy of a reaction
What are the two models for enzyme action?
The lock and key
and
The induced fit
Describe the lock and key model of enzyme action
The enzyme is the lock and the substrate is the key
The correct key must be used to fit in the correct lock
Only a key that fits exactly into the lock will work
What does the lock and key model of enzyme action suggest about the active site?
The active site is ridgid
Describe the induced fit model of enzyme action
- The substrate and active site are complementary in shape but not an exact fit
- the active site is able to change shape slightly to create a perfect fit
What does the induced fit model suggest about the active site?
The active site has a degree of flexibility
Outline how an enzyme causes a reaction to occur
- the substrate and active site collide, forming an enzyme-substrate complex
- the active site puts pressure on the bonds of the substrate
- this causes them to break, forming an enzyme-product complex
- the products are released and the enzyme reused
How do enzymes reduce the activation energy of a reaction?
- They put pressure on the bonds in a substrate
- They bring atom groups close enough to react
Define metabolic pathway
A series of enzyme reactions whereby the product becomes the substrate of the next
What are anabolic reactions?
Reactions that build molecules
What are catabolic reactions?
Reactions that break bonds/break up molecules
How do R-groups of the enzyme help to break apart substrates?
The R-groups interact with the substrate, forming temporary bonds with the substrate which puts pressure on the bonds in the substrate bonds
Outline how starch is broken down in the body
- starch polymers are partially broken down into maltose by amylase
- amylase is released into the mouth via the salivary glands
- amylase is released into the small intestine via the pancreas
- maltose is then broken down into glucose by maltase in the small intestine
Outline how protein is broken down in the body
- trypsin is produced by the pancreas
- trypsin breaks proteins into smaller peptides in the small intestine
-other proteases then break the small peptides into amino acids
What is the active site?
the area of an enzyme with a shape complementary to a specific substrate allowing the enzyme to bind to a substrate with specicifity
Why are enzymes important to life?
- life processes require chemical reactions
- the reactions need to happen quickly
- enzymes allow these reactions to occur quickly without high pressure/temperature
- allow organisms to get the nutrients needed to function i.e through digestion
What is activation energy?
The energy required for a reaction to start
What is the substrate of catalase?
Hydrogen peroxide
What are the products of the reaction of catalase?
2H2O and O2
What is the substrate of amylase?
Starch
What are the products of the reaction of amylase?
Maltose
What is the substrate of trypsin?
Protein
What are the products of the reaction of trypsin?
polypeptides
How are metabolic pathways controlled?
- By allosteric enzymes whereby the end product of the pathway binds to the allosteric site
- once the end product levels fall, the inhibition is lifted
Give an example of control of a metabolic pathway
In respiration the enzyme PFK is inhibited by ATP and activated by ADP
What is the approximate optimum temperature for most enzymes in the human body?
40 degrees
What happens to the rate of reaction during the exponential phase?
-rate of reaction doubles every time temperature increases by 10 degrees
Why does the rate of reaction increase up to 60 degrees, as temperature increases?
- as temperature increases, kinetic energy of particles increases
- this means particles move faster and collide more frequently
- increasing rate of reaction
Why does the rate of reaction decrease beyond 60 degrees?
- hydrogen bonds and ionic bonds break
- loss of tertiary structure
- change in shape of the active site
- substrate no longer fits
- decreasing rate of reaction