enzymes - the effect of temperature on enzyme activity Flashcards
define Q10
temperature coefficient
–> calculated by dividing the rate of reaction at (T + 10) degrees celsius by the rate of reaction at T degrees celsius
what do all molecules have ?
kinetic energy
what do molecules do to one another ?
collide into each other
what happens if a substance is heated ? (3 marks)
–> the extra energy in the form of heat causes the molecules to move faster
–> this increases the rate of collisions between molecules
–> it also increases the force with which they collide , as they’re moving faster
what happens if the reactant mixture containing enzyme and substrate molecules is heated ?
–> both types of molecule will gain kinetic energy and move faster
–> this will increase the rate of successful collisions
–> therefore the rate of formation of ES complexes increases, and the rate of reaction increases, increasing the number of EP complexes per second up to a point
the enzyme’s optimum temperature
the rate of reaction at its maximum
what does increasing the temperature do to molecules ?
make them vibrate
what may heat do to weak bonds ?
break them
give example of bonds that may break and what’s the importance of them in an enzyme ? (2 marks )
- hydrogen and ionic bonds
–> they hold the tertiary structure of the enzyme’s active site
what happens of the active site’s shape begins to change ?
–> the substrate molecules won’t fit so well
–> the rate of reaction begins to decrease
what happens when more heat is applied ?
the shape of the enzyme’s active site completely and irreversibly changes
–> so no longer complementary to the shape of the substrate molecules
what would the enzyme be referred as in the description above ?
denatured
what does heat NOT break + therefore ?
peptide bonds between amino acids
–> therefore the enzyme’s primary structure is not altered
what is optimum temperature ?
this is the temperature at which the enzyme works best
where do some enzymes work best at ?
cool temperatures
what is an example of organisms that are adapted to living in cold conditions ?
psychrophillic bacteria
–> live in very cold conditions
–> enzymes can work at really low temperatures
what is an example of organisms that are adapted to living in high temperatures ?
thermophillic bacteria
–> live at very high temperatures