Unit 1: Protein Booklet Key Points Flashcards
Degredation=
Breakdown
What is a catalyst?
A catalyst is a material which speeds up a chemical reaction while itself remains unchanged by the reaction.
What is an enzyme?
Enzymes are a biological catalyst. Enzymes speed up all biochemical reactions that take place in all living things.
What are enzymes made of?
Enzymes are made of proteins and proteins are made of amino acids.
What does the sequence of amino acids determine in a protein?
The sequence of amino acids determines the shape of a protein and therefore the enzyme
How are enzymes specific?
The part of the enzyme which binds to the substrate is called the active site. The active site of each type of enzyme has a different shape from any other type of enzyme so that it will only bind to one type of substrate. This makes enzymes specific to one type of substrate.
Why can enzymes only react with one type of substrate?
Enzymes can only react with one substrate because the active site is complementary to it’s substrate.
What is a degradation reaction?
Degradation(breakdown) reactions is where a large substance has been broken down into smaller products
What is a synthesis reaction?
Synthesis reactions are where smaller substrate molecules are built up into larger products.
What can proteins be synthesised from?
Proteins can be synthesised from all the different types of amino acid.
What are the properties of an enzyme?
-denatured at high temperatures
-most active at optimum conditions
-made of proteins
-biological catalysts
-specific
