Enzymes

• What are enzymes often referred to as in the protein world?

  Magicians
• What is the primary function of enzymes in chemical reactions?

  They make reactions happen faster without being changed themselves
• What is metabolism in the context of cell reactions?

  • The sum of all chemical reactions in a cell
  • Requires careful control of substance amounts
  • Essential for proper organism function
• How can raising the temperature affect chemical reactions in cells?

  It speeds up reactions but can also damage cells
• What is a catalyst?

  A substance that speeds up a reaction without being changed
• Why are enzymes important for biological reactions in the body?

  They reduce the need for high temperatures
• How many different enzymes are there for different biological reactions?

  Each biological reaction has its own enzyme
• What is the relationship between enzymes and genes?

  Each enzyme is coded for by a different gene
• What is the active site of an enzyme?

  It is the part where the enzyme acts on its substrate
• What does it mean for an enzyme to have high specificity?

  It usually only works with one substrate
• What is the lock and key mechanism in enzyme activity?

  The substrate fits into the enzyme's active site like a key into a lock
• How are enzymes used in biological washing powders?

  They catalyse the breakdown of stains
• What is the optimum temperature for most human enzymes?

  About 37 °C
• What happens to enzymes when the temperature gets too high?

  They become denatured and lose their shape
• How does pH affect enzyme activity?

  Extreme pH levels can denature the enzyme
• What is the optimum pH for pepsin?

  pH 2
• What factors affect the rate of enzyme-controlled reactions?

  • Temperature
  • pH
  • Enzyme concentration
  • Substrate concentration
• How does increasing enzyme concentration affect the rate of reaction?

  It increases the likelihood of substrate molecules meeting enzymes
• What happens when substrate concentration is increased?

  The reaction rate increases until all active sites are full
• What is the effect of limited substrate on enzyme concentration?

  Adding more enzyme has no further effect
• What are the methods to investigate enzyme activity?

  1. Investigate temperature effects
  2. Investigate pH effects using buffer solutions
  3. Vary substrate concentrations
  4. Vary enzyme concentrations
• What is the purpose of investigating enzyme activity?

  To understand how variables affect the rate of enzyme activity