Enzymes Flashcards
1st law of thermodynamics
energy cannot be created or destroyed just changes form
2nd law of thermodynamics
no energy transformation is 100% efficient bc some is lost as heat
entropy
the measure of the non-useable energy in a system
Exergonic reactions
- chemical reactions that release energy
- products have less energy than the reactants
Endergonic reactions
- chemical reactions that must be supplied with energy
- products have more energy than the reactants
Activation energy
initial energy needed to start a chemical reaction
Catalyst
increases the rate of a chemical reaction without themselves being altered
Enzyme
Biological catalyst
-speed up reactions by bringing substrate molecules together and breaking them apart
Substrate
the molecule the enzyme attaches itself to
Active Site
the area of an enzyme that attaches with the substrate
Anabolic reaction
when the enzyme brings the substrates together to form a product
catabolic reaction
when large molecules are broken down into simpler ones
Cofactors
inorganic molecules that help enzymes bind to substrate molecules (made from minerals)
Co-enzymes
organic molecules that help enzymes bind to substrate molecules (made from vitamins)
Temperature
higher temperatures cause faster reactions UNLESS its over 40 degrees
pH
some enzymes work best under different pH’s bc excess H+ or OH- can alter the shape of the enzyme
Concentration of Substrate
usually, more substrate increases the reaction rate because it increases the number of collisions
Concentration of Product
more product slows down the reaction rate bc they interfere w the enzymes
Competitive inhibitors
compete with the substrate for the active site on the enzyme and stop the reaction.
Trypsin
a competitive inhibitor that our body produces
