Enzymology Flashcards
What is catabolism?
Large molecules broken down in smaller ones
releasing energy
What is Anabolism?
Small molecules being assembled into larger ones
Using energy
What do cells need to carry out metabolic reactions?
supply of oxygen and nutrients
Where is oxygen absorbed into?
Lungs
Where are nutrients and other materials obtained?
Digestive tract
what does primary structure consist of?
Amino acids and peptide bond
Why does secondary structure fold?
Hydrogen bonds
Why does a tertiary structure have secondary folding?
Interaction within the polypeptide and it’s immediate environment
What is a quaternary structure
Relationships between individual subunits
In enzyme- catalysed biochemical reactions, what molecule is being acted upon?
substrate
In enzyme- catalysed biochemical reactions, what molecule is formed
product
What molecule supports enzymes when they are unable to act of their own?
Co-factors
What does a cell have many thousands of?
enzymes
What can enzymes do?
Be manufactured by it’s cell when required
Be regulated- switched on and off
Speed up reactions
What does activation energy do?
Makes conditions favourable for the reaction to occur
Are enzymes able to lower their activation energy?
yes, if conditions are favourable
What are the two types of enzyme substrate complex?
Lock and key model
Induced fit model
What factors affect enzyme activity?
Substrate concentration
temperature
pH
Enzyme molecule concentration
What is the effect of a low substate concentration
Collisions are infrequent and products made slowely
What is the effect of a medium substrate concentration?
Increase collisions
reaction rate will increase proportionately
What is the effect high substrate concentration
enzymes working at maximum capacity
further increases will have no effect
enzyme is saturated
What happens to enzymes when the temperature increases too much?
enzyme will denature
What effect does altering pH have?
Affect charges of amino acids
affects critical 3D structure
affects activity of molecules within the active site
What is a non-competitive inhibitor?
an inhibitor that targets the enzyme at other points, rather than the active site