Topic 2c - enzymes and digestion (1. enzymes)

Question 1

what are enzymes used for

Answer 1

act as biological catalysts. they reduce the need for high temps and we have enzymes to speed up useful chemical reactions in the body.

Question 2

what is a catalyst

Answer 2

a substance which increases the speed of a reaction, without being changed or used up in the reaction.

Question 3

what are enzymes

Answer 3

speed up useful chemical reactions, minimising the need for high temps. enzymes are large proteins and all proteins are made up of amino acids.

Question 4

what are active sites

Answer 4

every enzyme has an active site, with a unique shape that fits onto the substance involved in the chemical reaction. Enzymes only catalyse one specific reaction. As for the enzyme to work the substrate (substance involved) has to fit into the active site. if it doesn’t match then the reaction won’t be catalysed.

Question 5

what are optimum conditions

Answer 5

the right conditions for them to work in best

Question 6

how does the temperature effect chemical reaction catalysing

Answer 6

at first increasing the temperature will increase the rate however if it gets too hot some of the bonds holding the enzyme will break. meaning the shape of the active size changes too and substrate won’t fit. at this point the enzyme is denatured.

Question 7

how does the pH effect how the enzyme catalyses the chemical reaction

Answer 7

if the pH is high or too low it won’t work for most enzymes its neutral, 7 however this is not always the case.