properties

• what can enzymes be described as?

  specific
• why are enzymes described as specific?

  they usually only catalyse one reaction
• why do enzymes only catalyse one reaction?

  because only one complementary substrate will fit into the active site
• what is the active site's shape determined by?

  by the enzymes tertiary structure (which is determined by the enzyme's primary structure)
• what is the enzymes tertiary sructure determined by?

  the enzymes primary structure
• what does each different enzyme have?

  a different tertiary structure and so a different shaped active site
• what wont happen if the substrate shape doesnt match the active site?

  an enzyme substrate complex wont be formed and the reaction wont be catalysed
• What happens if the tertiary structure of the enzyme is ALTERED in any way?

  the shape of the active site changes.
• How may the tertiary structure of the enzyme be altered?

  by changed in pH or temperature
• what is the primary structure of a protein determined by?

  a gene

  • if a mutation occurs in that gene it could change the tertiary structure of the enzyme produced