Lesson 12 - Enzymes Flashcards
Why do biological reactions need enzymes?
The high pressures and temperatures needed to increase the speed of chemical reactions can not be attained in cells. This could damage organelles.
Anabolic reactions
Building up / growth
Catabolic
Breaking down releasing energy in metabolic reactions
Where are substrates attained for catabolic reactions?
- Large organic molecules attained from the digestion of food.
Metabolism definition
Sum of all chemical reactions
Enzyme definition
Biological catalyst made of protein
Enzymes can only increase the rate of reaction to a certain point. What is this?
V max
(maximum initial velocity or rate of the enzyme-catalysed reaction)
Phosphorylases
Catalyse the addition of phosphate groups to molecules
Lactate dehydrogenase
Catalyses the transfer of a H+ ion to and from a lactate.
Pepsins catalyse
The breakdown of proteins (peptides) in the stomach
ATPase
Uses ATP as its substrate
When does a chemical reaction occur?
- When molecules collide in the right orientation.
Effect of increasing the temperature and pressure in chemical reactions?
The speed of the molecules will increase, therefore so will the number of successful collisions and the overall rate of reaction.
Specificity of an enzyme
- Living organisms produce thousands of enzymes.
- There are thousands of chemical reactions.
- One enzyme catalyses each chemical reaction.
What is activation energy?
The energy supplied to start a chemical reaction.