Organisation and Digestion – Revision Questions Flashcards
enzymes
what’s the definition of digestion?
the breakdown of food into smaller molecules that can be absorbed by the body.
Where is the digested food being moved to?
the small intestine for absorption into the bloodstream.
What is the function of the large intestines?
the thicker shorter one
it absorbs water, salts, and some vitamins from undigested food and forms solid waste for elimination.
What is an enzyme?
An enzyme is a protein that acts as a biological catalyst, speeding up chemical reactions without being used up.
What is the part of the enzyme where the substrate fits called?
active site
Why are enzymes specific to one substrate?
they have a unique shape that fits only one type of substrate.
due to their amino acid sequence
What enzyme is produced in the mouth? What does it digest and what product(s) are formed?
salivary amylase. It digests starch (a carbohydrate) into maltose, which is a simpler sugar.
What enzyme is produced in the stomach? What does it digest and what product(s) are formed?
pepsin.
It digests proteins into smaller peptides.
What enzyme is produced in the small intestine? What does it digest and what product(s) are formed?
pancreatic amylase.
It digests starch into maltose and pancreatic proteases like trypsin and chymotrypsin digest proteins into smaller peptides and amino acids.
What is the function of bile (2 functions):
- Emulsifies fats to increase the surface area for digestion by enzymes.
- Neutralizes stomach acid to provide a suitable environment for enzymes in the small intestine.
Describe how temperature affects rate of reaction is as much detail as possible:
Increase in temperature: Increases kinetic energy, speeding up collisions between enzyme and substrate, enhancing reaction rate.
Optimal temperature: Highest efficiency for enzyme-substrate interaction.
Beyond optimal temperature: Enzyme denaturation occurs, reducing reaction rate.
Cold temperatures: Slows activity due to fewer collisions.
What’s a catalyst
A catalyst is a substance that increases the speed of a chemical reaction without being used up or changed in the process.
Give 3 reasons why we can’t just make our cells even warmer to increase the rate of reactions?
Heating our cells more would require a lot of energy
Higher temperatures could damage our cells
Higher temperatures would also speed up non-useful reactions
An enzyme is a special type of catalyst that is made by a living organism. We sometimes call them…
a biological catalysts.
Enzymes are made from what??
Enzymes are large proteins, so made from a long chain of amino acids.
