Topic 1 - Enzymes: Mechanisms,denaturation And Factors Affecting Enzyme Activity Flashcards
What are enzymes?
Biological catalysts that increase the rate of reaction without being used up.
What two main functions do enzymes perform?
They can break up large molecules and join small ones.
What are enzymes made of?
Protein molecules.
Why is the shape of an enzyme vital to its function?
Each enzyme has its own uniquely shaped active site where the substrate binds.
What is the Lock and Key Hypothesis?
A simplified explanation of how enzymes work, where the substrate’s shape is complementary to the active site’s shape.
What forms when the substrate binds to the enzyme’s active site?
An enzyme-substrate complex.
What must happen for enzymes to catalyse reactions?
They must bind to a substrate with a complementary shape.
What is enzyme specificity?
The ability of enzymes to catalyse reactions only with substrates that fit their active sites.
What conditions do enzymes require for optimal activity?
Optimum pH, temperature, and substrate concentration.
Fill in the blank: Enzymes are biological _______ that increase the rate of reaction.
catalysts
True or False: Enzymes can be used up in a reaction.
False
What is the optimum temperature range for humans?
Around 37 degrees Celsius
This temperature varies for other organisms.
What happens to the rate of reaction as temperature increases up to the optimum?
It increases
After the optimum temperature, the rate of reaction rapidly decreases.
What occurs to enzymes when the temperature becomes too hot?
The bonds that hold the enzyme together begin to break
This results in the enzyme being denatured.
What is the effect of denaturation on the active site of an enzyme?
The shape of the active site changes
This prevents the substrate from fitting into the enzyme.
