Enzymes RP

• What are the major nutrients required for a healthy diet?

  Carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids
• What is the role of the digestive system?

  It breaks down large food molecules for absorption
• What are carbohydrates vital for in humans?

  Energy
• How are carbohydrates stored in humans if eaten in excess?

  As fat
• What is the importance of carbohydrates in plants?

  They are important for photosynthesis
• What are proteins made of?

  Amino acid molecules
• Why are proteins needed by the body?

  For cell growth and repair
• What are lipids composed of?

  Fatty acids and glycerol
• Why must lipids be broken down?

  To be absorbed into the body
• What role do enzymes play in digestion?

  They speed up chemical reactions
• What is an enzyme?

  A protein that catalyzes reactions
• What is a biological catalyst?

  An enzyme that speeds up reactions
• What happens to enzymes during chemical reactions?

  They speed up the reactions
• What is the active site of an enzyme?

  The part where substrates attach
• What is a substrate in enzyme reactions?

  A substance on which enzymes act
• What is the lock and key theory?

  It describes enzyme specificity
• How do physical factors affect enzyme activity?

  They influence the number of successful collisions
• What is the optimal temperature for human enzymes?

  37°C
• What happens to enzymes at high temperatures?

  They can become denatured
• What is denaturation in enzymes?

  Change in the shape of the active site
• How does temperature affect enzyme activity?

  High temperatures can denature enzymes
• What is pH?

  Scale of acidity or alkalinity
• How does changing pH affect enzymes?

  It changes the shape of the active site
• What happens to amino acids in an enzyme when pH changes?

  Their charges may change
• What is the optimum pH for enzymes in the digestive system?

  Varies by enzyme type
• What is the optimum pH for salivary amylase?

  1. 8
• What is the optimum pH for stomach protease (pepsin)?

  1. 5 - 2.0
• What is the optimum pH for pancreatic protease (trypsin)?

  1. 5 - 8.0
• What factors affect enzyme action?

  • Temperature
  • pH
  • Concentration of enzyme and substrate
• How do different enzymes in the digestive system vary?

  • Different enzymes have different optimum pHs
  • Examples:
  • Salivary amylase: pH 6.8
  • Stomach protease (pepsin): pH 1.5 - 2.0
  • Pancreatic protease (trypsin): pH 7.5 - 8.0
• What is the role of hydrochloric acid in the stomach?

  • Produces optimum pH for stomach enzymes
  • Aids in digestion
• What is the role of sodium hydrogencarbonate in the duodenum?

  • Produces optimum pH for pancreatic enzymes
  • Neutralizes stomach acid