Enzymes

• A catalyst is any chemical that speeds up the rate of a reaction.
• Enzymes are organic (contains carbon atoms) catalysts.
• Enzymes are proteins that increase the rate of metabolic reactions.
• Enzymes work by lowering a reaction’s activation energy.
• Activation energy is the energy required to start up a reaction.
• For any reaction to occur the molecules involved must collide in the right way at high speed
• Enzymes reduce the activation energy by binding to a substrate (grabbing) the molecules and holding them together in the right way until they react with each other.
• Enzymes are not changed by the reaction they catalyse.
• Each metabolic reaction has its own enzyme to catalyse it
• The chemicals that an enzyme acts on its called the substrate.
• Factors such as temperature, pH, substrate concentration, enzyme concentration and substrate surface area affects enzyme action.
• enzymes are proteins and proteins get denature if overheated.
• As substrate concentrations, enzyme concentrations and substrate surface areas increase, so does the reaction rate
• Inhibitors are chemicals which prevents the enzyme from working until the organism need it.
• Any substance that helps an enzyme to function is called a co-factor.
• Co-factors are usually vitamins or minerals.