Enzymes and Temperature

Question 1

What does applying heat to molecules do?

Answer 1

• Applying heat to molecules puts a strain on molecules – making their bonds vibrate. Vibrations can break hydrogen bonds/ionic bonds. Bonds maintain tertiary structure, especially the active site. If enough bonds broken, whole structure unravels, and stops working.

Question 2

Is denaturation reversible?

Answer 2

No, it is not.

Question 3

Why can a denatured enzyme no longer work?

Answer 3

Denaturation changes tertiary structure, so it cannot function.

Question 4

What is optimum temperature, and how is it conducted?

Answer 4

Optimum temperature is a balance between increasing the kinetic energy (which increases number of collisions) and increasing the vibration of enzyme molecule.