enzymes

• activation energy = the minimum energy required for a successful chemical reaction
• Enzymes are biological catalysts. They speed up the rate of reaction by lowering the activation energy by bending bonds. Without enzymes, very few substrates have sufficient energy for the reaction to occur.
• induced fit = before the reaction, the active site is not complimentary and does not fit the substrate. The shape of the active site changes as substrate binds to form the enzyme substrate complex. This distorts/bends the bonds in substrate leading to reaction.
• enzymes are affected by:

  • Temperature
  • pH
  • Inhibitors
  • Substrate/enzymes concentration
• Every enzyme has an optimum temperature.
• structure determines function