ENZYMES

• Enzymes


  Important proteins that speed up the rates of reaction
• Enzymes


  • They are biological catalysts that lower the activation energy of reactions, speeding them up
  • They are unchanged at the end of the reaction and can be reused
• How enzymes work


  1. Enzymes and substrates collide at the right speed and orientation so the substrate fits into the enzyme's active site

  2. The reaction takes place in the active site

  3. The required product is produced and the enzyme releases itself
• Enzymes


  • Protease (breaks down proteins into amino acids)
  • Carbohydrase (breaks down carbohydrates into glucose)
  • Lipase (breaks down fats into fatty acids and glycerols)
• Hydrogen peroxide is often formed as a result of reactions in cells and can be harmful, but catalase enzymes break it down into harmless water and oxygen
• Enzymes


  • They need optimum conditions to work best, including enough substrate concentration, appropriate pH and temperature, and sufficient enzyme concentration
• Increase in temperature


  Increased rates of reaction up to a point, then rate drops off due to denaturation
• Enzymes are used in biological washing powders, fruit juice production, and many other applications in daily life