Enzymes & Nutrition Flashcards
What does a catalyst do?
Speeds up the breaking of proteins
An enzyme is a what?
(Biological) catalyst
What is a catalyst?
A chemical
What are enzymes?
Proteins that help a reaction speed up without being changed in the reaction itself
What do some enzymes do?
Some help break down large substances into smaller molecules
Some help small chemicals join together to make larger ones
What is it called when an enzyme breaks down a large substance into smaller molecules?
Digestion
What is it called when enzymes help smaller chemicals to form bigger ones?
Synthesis
What do bacteria release into their environments?
Digestive enzymes
Where is amylase found?
Saliva
Small intestine
Where is catalase found?
Most cells
Especially liver cells
Where is starch synthase found?
In plants
Where is DNA polymerase found?
Nucleus
What does amylase do?
Breaks down starches into small sugars
What does starch synthase do?
Synthesis of starch from glucose
What does DNA polymerase do?
Synthesis of DNA from its monomers
Does synthesis happen very quickly or very slowly?
Very slowly
What is a protein made out of?
A long chain of amino acids
What is the lock and key model used to represent?
Synthesis
Breaking down of substrates by enzymes
Are active sites very specific?
Yes
What happens if the PH or temperature of a enzyme is too high/low?
The enzyme denatures and stops working
Fill in the gaps: Enzymes are very _________ to the __________ they are used to
Sensitive
Conditions
What is optimum pH?
The level at which the rate of reaction taking place is at its highest
What does catalase do?
Breaks down hydrogen peroxide to water and oxygen
