Unit 3: Topic 1 - Enzyme Structure

Question 1

What are some of the properties of enzymes?

Answer 1

1. They have specific temperatures and pH levels where they are the most active and effective 2. Enzymes decrease the activation energy of reactions and, by doing that, increase the rate of reactions 3. The molecule the enzyme binds to facilitate a chemical reaction called the substrate 3. Enzymes can only bind to specific substrates because the shape of their active site (where the enzyme binds to the substrate) can only fit specific molecules. 4. Some enzymes require additional biological molecules called cofactors to properly facilitate chemical reactions. 5. Nearly all enzymes are proteins, although some RNA enzymes have been discovered

Question 2

What is the active site of an enzyme?

Answer 2

The active site of an enzyme is the part of the enzyme to which the substrate binds. It is where the enzyme activity occurs on the enzyme.

Question 3

Why are enzymes specific to certain reactions?

Answer 3

Enzymes are specific to certain reactions because the active site of each enzyme has a specific shape that can only fit with specific molecules.