Enzymes

• Enzymes are proteins that act as biological catalysts, speeding up chemical reactions in living organisms.
• Cell Membrane - Cell Transport - Biomolecules - Enzymes - ATP - ADP Cycle - Aerobic Respiration - Anaerobic Respiration - Photosynthesis
• Catalyst is a substance which can alter or speed up chemical reaction without itself being chemically changed at the end of the reaction.
• Enzymes are catalysts made of protein.
• Enzymes perform catalytic function (rate increase) in various chemical reactions in and out of living cells.
• The part in an enzyme molecule where it interacts with the substrate is called the active site.
• Raising temperature generally speeds up a reaction, and lowering temperature slows down a reaction.
• Allosteric site is a part of the enzyme where the non-competitive inhibitor binds.
• Extreme high temperatures can cause an enzyme to lose its shape (denature) and stop working.
• Competitive inhibition is a phenomenon where an inhibitor with a similar structure to the substrate is able to fit in the active site of an enzyme.
• pH level affects enzyme activity; as the pH value is increased above or decreased below the optimum pH, the enzyme activity decreases.
• The chemical with which an enzyme works is called the active site.
• Substrate is the chemical that enters the active site of an enzyme.
• Enzyme-substrate complex is formed when a substrate enters the active site of an enzyme.
• Enzyme-product complex is formed when a substrate is converted into a new product by an enzyme.
• Products leave the active site of an enzyme.
• Enzymatic hydrolysis is a process in which enzymes facilitate the cleavage of bonds in molecules with the addition of the elements of water and plays an important role in the human system for the digestion of food.
• A chemical digestion process called enzymatic hydrolysis can break the bonds holding the molecular 'building blocks' within the food together.
• Lock-and-key model is a concept in enzyme action where the shape of an enzyme's active site determines which substrate it can interact with.
• Digestive enzymes assist in breaking down food and absorbing nutrients to deliver throughout the body system.
• Daniel Koshlland, a biochemist, illustrates that an enzyme shifts and slightly changes its shape to fit with the substrate.
• Enzyme inhibitors are compounds which modify the catalytic properties of the enzyme and, therefore, slow down the reaction rate, or in some cases, even stop the catalysis.
• Coenzymes in enzymes are organic molecules.
• The most common digestive enzymes include protease, amylase, and lipase.
• Induced Fit Model was proposed by Emil Fischer in 1894, a German chemist.
• Such inhibitors work by blocking or distorting the active site.
• If the enzyme is paired with an incorrect or unfit substrate, there will be no reaction and new product.
• Factors affecting enzymes include inhibitors, temperature, and pH level.
• Cofactor in enzymes are inorganic molecules and ions.
• Antioxidant enzyme protects us from the negative effects of free radicals.
• Enzyme (a lock) and substrate (right key) fit perfectly, the chemical reaction will be successful (enzyme specificity).
• Examples of metabolic enzymes include Lipase, which breaks down fats into glycerol and fatty acids; Protease, which breaks down proteins into amino acids; Lactase, which breaks down lactose, the complex sugar in milk products; and Amylase, which breaks down carbohydrates (starches) into simpler sugars.
• Metabolic enzymes are responsible for the energy production in organisms and help to detoxify the body of waste materials from the cells.
• Digestive enzymes are derived from raw foods and supplements which are produced externally.
• Glucoamylase breaks down maltose (the sugar in all grains) into two glucose molecules, allowing greater absorption of this energy.