Enzymes Glossary Flashcards
Activation energy
the amount of energy it takes to start a reaction
Active site
the active site is the region of an enzyme where substrate molecules bind and undergo a chemical reaction
Amylase
An enzyme that catalyses the hydrolysis of starch into sugars
Assimilation
The absorption and digestion of food or nutrients by the body of any biological function.
Carbohydrase
The name of a set of enzymes that catalyse 5 types of reactions, Turing carbohydrates into simple sugars.
Complementary
The shape of an enzyme’s active site is complementary to the shape of its specific substrate or substrates. This means they can fit together.
Denature
destroy the characteristic properties of a protein or other biological macromolecule by heat, acidity, or other effect which disrupts its molecular configuration.
Egestion
The act or process of voiding or discharging undigested food as faeces. To egest means to discharge undigested material or food.
End-product inhibilitation
A form of negative feedback by which metabolic pathways can be controlled.
Enzymes
biological molecules that significantly speed up the rate of virtually all chemical reactions that take place within cells.
Enzyme-substrate complex
a temporary molecule formed when an enzyme comes into perfect contact with its substrate.
Lactase
An enzyme that breaks down the sugar lactose.
Lipases
any enzyme that catalyses the hydrolysis of fats (lipids)
Maltase
an enzyme that catalyses the hydrolysis of the disaccharide maltose to the simple sugar glucose.
Pancreas
A long, flat gland that sits behind the stomach in the upper abdomen. It produces enzymes that aid digestion and hormones that regulate the way the body processes sugar (Glucose)
