Factors Affecting Enzyme Reactions.

Question 1

Temperature:

Answer 1

• At higher temperatures the enzyme and substrate molecules move faster and collide more often.
• Generally, the higher the temperature, the faster the reaction.
• If the temperature becomes too high, the amino acid chains in the protein
start to unravel, changing the shape of the active site = enzyme is now
denatured.
• Substrate can no longer bind and so the rate of reaction decreases.
• Once all the enzyme molecules are denatured the reaction stops.
• The change from denaturing is typically irreversible.

Question 2

pH:

Answer 2

• Each enzyme has its optimum pH.
• A change in pH affects the interactions between amino acids in a chain.
• This may make the enzyme unfold, changing the shape of the active site.
• The enzyme will then be denatured.

Question 3

Enzyme Substrate Concentration:

Answer 3

• Generally, the higher the substrate/enzyme concentration is, the faster the rate of reaction.
• But at a certain substrate concentration, all the enzyme molecules are bound to substrate molecules/all substrate molecules are bound to an
enzyme.
• The rate of the reaction is at its maximum.
• Any further increase in the number of substrate molecules enzymes will not increase the rate of reaction as there are no enzymes substrates for them to bind to/with.