Enzymes

• what controls the metabolism?

  enzymes
• what are enzymes coded by?

  DNA
• what process produces enzymes?

  protein synthesis
• what do enzymes do in biological chemical reactions?

  catalyse them
• what is the structure of enzymes?

  globular
• what are the properties of globular structures?

  relatively spherical molecules, soluble in water
• what are catabolic reactions?

  they produce smaller molecules by hydrolysis or larger molecules, releasing energy
• what are anabolic reactions?

  they synthesise large molecules from smaller molecules, requiring energy
• what is substrate specificity?

  when an enzyme reacts with only one unique substrate
• what is the induced fit model?

  when an enzyme's active site changes slightly for maximum bonding
• what is activation energy?

  the minimum level of energy required to enable a chemical reaction to occur
• what will a lower activation energy allow for?

  energy efficiency
• what are the factors that affect enzyme reaction rates?

  temperature, pH and substrate concentration
• what does a pH - rate of reaction graph look like?

  symmetrical bell curve
• what does a substrate concentration - rate of reaction graph look like?

  gradual increase, slope levels out
• why does the slope on a substrate concentration graph level out?

  enzymes are at maximum capacity
• what happens if the active site changes?

  it denatures