3.3 Environmental Impacts on Enzyme Function

• What are enzymes considered in biological reactions?

  Biological catalysts
• Enzymes speed up reactions by lowering the activation energy required.
• Enzymes are highly specific, meaning each enzyme typically works with a particular substrate.
• Match the feature with its correct catalyst type:

  Composition ↔️ Made of proteins

  Specificity ↔️ Highly specific to substrates

  Efficiency ↔️ Works at lower temperatures

  Environmental Sensitivity ↔️ Highly sensitive to pH
• What is the primary role of enzymes in cells?

  Speed up reactions
• Enzymes lower the activation energy needed for a reaction to occur.
• Each enzyme typically works with a specific substrate to facilitate a particular reaction.
• What is the optimal temperature range for most human enzymes to function?

  Around 37°C
• As temperature increases, enzyme activity increases up to the optimal point.
• Beyond the optimal temperature, enzyme activity decreases as the enzyme structure becomes denatured.
• What is the optimal pH range for most human enzymes to function?

  Around pH 7
• Extreme acidic or basic conditions can disrupt the enzyme's structure and reduce its activity.
• At high substrate concentrations, all enzyme active sites become occupied, and enzyme activity plateaus.
• Order the effects of increasing substrate concentration on enzyme activity:

  1️⃣ Enzyme activity increases

  2️⃣ All active sites become occupied

  3️⃣ Enzyme activity plateaus
• Match the environmental factor with its effect on enzyme activity:

  Temperature ↔️ Increases up to optimal, then decreases

  pH ↔️ Optimal range around neutral pH

  Substrate Concentration ↔️ Increases up to saturation
• What happens to enzyme activity as temperature increases beyond the optimal range?

  Decreases as enzyme denatures
• Enzymes function best within an optimal pH range, typically around neutral pH.
• Enzymes are made of proteins and work efficiently at low temperatures and concentrations.
• Match the feature with its correct catalyst type:

  Specificity ↔️ High specificity for substrate

  Regulation ↔️ Can be regulated

  Environmental Sensitivity ↔️ Highly sensitive to pH and T
• Which environmental factors can affect enzyme activity?

  Temperature, pH, substrate concentration
• As temperature increases, enzyme activity increases up to the optimal point.
• Extreme acidic or basic conditions can disrupt the enzyme's structure and reduce its activity.
• Compare the effects of temperature and pH on enzymes and non-biological catalysts:

  1️⃣ Temperature: Enzymes denature, non-biological catalysts remain stable

  2️⃣ pH: Enzymes function best in neutral range, non-biological catalysts are less sensitive
• What is the optimal temperature for most enzymes?

  37°C
• Beyond the optimal temperature, enzyme activity decreases as the enzyme structure becomes denatured.
• At high substrate concentrations, all enzyme active sites become occupied
• Enzymes are more stable than non-biological catalysts at high temperatures.

  False
• What is the typical optimal temperature for enzyme activity?

  37°C
• Beyond the optimal temperature, enzyme activity decreases as the enzyme structure becomes denatured
• Enzymes function best within a specific optimal pH range.
• What happens to enzyme activity as substrate concentration increases up to saturation?

  It increases
• Match the environmental factor with its effect on enzyme activity:

  Temperature ↔️ Increases up to optimal, then decreases

  pH ↔️ Optimal range around neutral pH

  Substrate Concentration ↔️ Increases up to saturation
• Order the effects of temperature on enzyme activity from lowest to highest temperature:

  1️⃣ Reduced activity

  2️⃣ Optimal activity

  3️⃣ Decreased activity due to denaturation
• Enzymes function best within a specific optimal pH range, typically around pH 7
• Extreme acidic conditions can disrupt the structure of enzymes and reduce their activity.
• How does the pH sensitivity of enzymes compare to that of non-biological catalysts?

  Enzymes are more sensitive
• At the saturation point, all enzyme active sites are occupied
• What type of relationship exists between substrate concentration and non-biological catalyst activity?

  Linear
• Enzymes lower the activation energy of biological reactions.
• Match the enzyme feature with its description:

  Specificity ↔️ Works with a particular substrate

  Regulation ↔️ Activity can be controlled

  Environmental Sensitivity ↔️ Affected by pH and temperature