Organisation: Enzymes Flashcards
How does the shape of an enzyme affect its function?
Enzymes have a specific active site which is complementary to their substrate.
What is an enzyme?
A biological catalyst that increases the speed of a reaction without being changed or used up in the reaction.
What is the lock and key model?
The enzyme has an active site that is complementary to the substrate. The substrate binds to the enzyme and it broken down . It then leaves the enzyme. The enzyme is unchanged.
What is the name of a more accurate model to show enzymes breaking a substrate down?
induced fit model
What is the induced fit model?
The idea that the active site of the enzyme changes slightly to get a tighter fit with the substrate.
What factors affect the rate of an enzyme-catalysed reaction?
- temperature
- pH
How does temperature affect enzyme-catalysed reactions?
Increases the rate to a point.
When it gets too hot, some of the bonds holding the enzyme together break which changes the shape of the enzyme’s active site preventing the substrate form fitting in anymore. The enzyme is said to be denatured by this point.
How does pH affect enzyme-catalysed reactions?
Every enzyme has an optimum pH.
What happens if the pH is too high or too low?
The pH interferes with the bonds holding the enzyme together. This changes the shape of the active site and denatures the enzyme.
