How enzymes work Flashcards
1
Q
What do chemical reactions usually involve?
A
Things being split apart or joined together
2
Q
What is the substrate?
A
The molecule changed in the reaction
3
Q
What is an active site?
A
The part where it joins onto the substrate to catalyse (to start) the reaction
4
Q
Why do enzymes often only work with a specific substrate?
A
This is because, for the reaction to work, the substrate must fit the active site. Substrates come in lots of different shapes so only specific enzymes work on certain substrates. If the substrate shape doesn’t match, then the reaction won’t be catalysed. This is often referred to as the ‘lock and key’ explanation.
