enzymes introduction

• are most chemical reactions naturally fast or slow

  • slow
• why don't we typically increase temperature to increase the rate of chemical reactions

  • requires a lot of energy to increase temperatures
  • higher temps could damage cells
  • higher temps would speed up non useful reactions
• what is a catalyst

  • a catalyst is a substance that speeds up chemical reactions without changing or being used up
• what is an enzyme

  • a biological catalyst ( made by a living organism )
• what are enzymes made up of

  • enzymes are large proteins so they are made up of amino acids
• what is the part of an enzyme that binds to the substrate

  • active site
• in order for an enzyme to catalyze a substrate the active site must be what to the substrate

  • complimentary
• what is the older lock and key theory scientists used to believe in

  • in order for an enzyme to catalyze a reaction the substrate had to perfectly fit into the active site
• what is the newer more realistic model for enzymes speeding up reaction

  • the induced fit model
• what is the induced fit model

  • the model that the enzymes active site changes shape slightly as it binds to the substrate
• why do enzymes require an optimum ph and temperature

  • because they are proteins
• what is enzyme specificity

  • where enzymes can only catalyze when they bind to a substrate that has a complimentary shape
• when enzymes and substrates bond what do they form

  • an enzyme-substrate complex