Enzymes & Digestion Flashcards
What is Digestion?
Digestion is the breakdown of large, insoluble food molecules into small, water soluble food molecules.
What are the two types of digestion?
Mechanical : > Food is physically broken down into smaller pieces.
Chemical : > Food molecules are broken down into smaller molecules so they can be absorbed, this is a SLOW process so catalysts speed it up. These catalysts are called enzymes
What are enzymes?
Enzymes are made of protein molecules. They can be folded into many different shapes and they speed up the reaction of things in the body
What are some properties of enzymes
They are all proteins
Each enzymes catalyses one reaction
Only small numbers of enzyme molecules are needed to catalyse many reactions
They can be use AGAIN AND AGAIN
they are affected by tempreture
they are affected by pH
What are breaker enzymes
they speed up the reaction of breaking down large
molecule to small molecules.
What are builder enzymes?
Builder enzymes, speed up the reaction where smaller molecules needs to join together to make
large ones.
Why are enzymes so specific? (aka picky bitches)
Only molecules with exactly the right shape will
bind to the enzyme and react. These are the reactant, or substrate, molecules.
What happens if pH levels change?
the enzyme will no longer work as it is now denatured and therefore the the substrate will not fit the active site of the enzyme.
What can increase enzyme activity?
A ten degrees Celsius rise in temperature will increase the the activity of most enzymes by 50 to 100%.
What is catalase
Catalase is a common naturally-occurring enzyme, Found extensively in organisms that live in the presence of oxygen.
What does catalase do?
Catalase prevents the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide and thus protects cellular organelles and tissues from damage by peroxide.
What enzymes are found in the mouth?
amylase
What is pepsin
An enzyme made in the stomach that breaks down proteins in food during digestion. Stomach acid changes a protein called pepsinogen into pepsin.
Pepsin is like the “Protein Gangsta” of your stomach. It’s all like, “Yo, I see those proteins, and I’m about to break ‘em down like it’s nobody’s business!” Pepsin be like, “I’m the boss of digestion, no protein can escape my chomp!”
What is trypsin
Trypsin is an enzyme that helps us digest protein. In the small intestine, trypsin breaks down proteins, continuing the process of digestion that began in the stomach
Trypsin is the “Protein Shredder” that goes all Wolverine on those proteins. It’s like, “Snikt! I got my claws ready to slice and dice these proteins into itty-bitty pieces.” Trypsin be like, “I’m the ultimate protein slayer, nothing can escape my razor-sharp action!”
What is maltase
Maltase-glucoamylase, coded on the MGAM gene, plays a vital role in the digestion of starches
Maltase is the “Sugar Disco Dancer” that loves to boogie with maltose. It’s like, “I’ll take this maltose and groove it into smaller sugars for the ultimate sweet party!” Maltase be like, “Let’s dance the sugar night away!”