Enzymes

• What are enzymes?

  Proteins, biological catalysts, specific (only do one reaction), and are either intracellular or extracellular.
• What are biochemical pathways?

  They ensure that the product of one step becomes the reactant of the next step, and each step is controlled by a specific enzyme.
• How do enzymes work?

  The active site, where the substrate molecules attach to the enzymes surface. Enzymes can denature is the active site changes.
• What is the lock and key method?

  The shape of the substrate is an exact fit to the shape of the enzymes active site.
• What is the induced fit?

  It is the theory that enzyme shape is not fixed. The bonds between the substrate and the enzyme modifies the enzyme's shape ensuring that the substrate fits.
• What are the benefits of enzymes?

  Reduce activation energy, not destroyed or altered by reactions and can work in either direction.
• How does temperature affect enzyme activity?

  The optimal temperature is required for efficiency as a high temperature increases reactions as the enzyme and substrate collides more often however if it gets too high, the enzyme denatures. If it is too cold the enzymes simply stop working without denaturing.
• How does pH affect enzyme action?

  Enzymes are pH sensitive can be denatured or the pH can change the shape of the substrate.
• How does concentration react enzyme activity?

  Roles of reaction are proportional to the amounts of substrate/enzyme present.
• How does inhibitors affect enzyme action?

  Non-competitive inhibitors don't bind to the active site, but change active site shape. Competitive inhibitors bind to the active site.
• What are cofactors and coenzymes?

  Substances that activate an enzyme.